A collection of Stories
by nottheonlyfanaround
Summary: Most of these are for 'The Houses Competition' I might add others later. I'm in the wonderful Ravenclaw team.
1. Of the Utmost Importance

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: **486** (Without A/N)

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): "Nothing can be that important."

This is an AU so it didn't actually happen in the books, and I don't think Harry went back to Hogwarts, but anyway just letting everyone know.

* * *

The golden trio walked through the familiar halls of Hogwarts, reminiscing about years spent roaming those very same halls. This was their last year, as the war had ended and they had all decided to return. The house rivalry with Slytherin had thankfully died down, but wasn't completely gone. Pansy Parkinson and her gang still glared at Hermione and Ron as they passed, whispering crude words just loud enough for them to hear. But one person had made a shocking turn around.

Draco Malfoy had stopped picking on most people. If anything his glares seemed to be directed at his own classmates. He would even offer a smile to a member of the trio if he passed them. One of the trio was painfully oblivious as to who he would actually shoot the smiles at. On this sunny day Draco had passed them in in the halls and smiled, as it was a habit now.

As he walked away, Hermione noticed he had dropped a book on the floor. However, she wasn't the only one who noticed, Harry had as well. He rushed down to pick it up and sprinted off towards the blond Slytherin, shouting after him as he ran.

Hermione and Ron shared confused glances, baffled as to what had just occurred. Harry and Draco weren't friends, right? Ron looked over at Hermione with a frown. Hermione shook her head in bewilderment and they continued towards charms, chatting amongst themselves. Harry soon caught up, ignoring his friends stares.

Finally, he couldn't stand it and looked towards them with a sigh. "What?" Hermione and Ron shared a glance before looking back towards Harry.

"Draco dropped that book and you picked it up and practically sprinted after him." Suspicion laced Hermione's words.

"I don't know why that's wrong. Hermione you said we should be more friendly to the other houses earlier," Harry snapped defensively .

"Harry, what's going on?" Ron asked. His voice lacked any traces of distrust, and for that Harry was glad. Harry let out a long sigh, contemplating what to tell his friends.

"It was a important book. I just returned it to him. That's all," he finally answered, and by the looks on his friend's faces they didn't believe him.

"Harry-" Ron started, but Hermione cut him off.

"Nothing can be that important."

Harry, realizing his story wasn't believable, tried another approach.

"I have to tutor Draco in Transfiguration, and he wanted to schedule a time." It wasn't exactly a lie, they did have tutoring sessions, just with a bit more affection that most. Realization dawned upon Hermione, and she finally understood. The smiles were for Harry, the waves at them in corridors were for Harry, picking on the Slytherins was for Harry. She gave him a knowing look and they all continued on their way. Little did they know that a certain blond haired boy was also getting interrogated in potions class.


	2. Requiem

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 4577 (according to google docs.)

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): Sirius/Remus

This is AU but it tries to fill in what might have happened after they graduated Hogwarts. It tries not to change what actually happened in the books but might make some stuff differ. The memories aren't Harry's pov, it's more of a flashback format.

* * *

It had been a few months since Voldemort had been defeated and Harry was still getting wills and collecting inheritance from those who had been killed. He was just finished reading Severus Snape's will when he heard Ginny let out a frustrated sigh. "You've got another one!" She shouted up to Harry, a sense of deja vu washing over both of them. He had heard that very same shout countless times before.

"Who's this one from?" Harry called back, deciding that if it wasn't anyone close he wouldn't bother.

"Remus!" Ginny shouted, and they both cringed at the sound of their godson's joyous calls for his father. He was too young to fully understand when they told him that his father was no longer alive. He seemed to grasp the concept though, as he would occasionally ask, "No dada?"

Harry apparated into the living room to get to the envelopes, and as soon as Ginny handed them over to him, she was off to be with Teddy. Harry sighed and apparated back up to his study, sitting down at his desk and opening the carefully written letter.

Dear Harry,

I'm writing this to you as a way to lessen my anxiety about seeing you for the first time. When I got news thirteen years ago that you had been born I still hated myself for being, well, a monster, and didn't let myself see you as a baby. This I deeply regret, but I had, at the time, deemed myself too dangerous. You see Harry, I'm a werewolf. It's something that can't be cured, and I've hated myself for it. However, I made some amazing friends, as I've heard you've done as well, and it was them who helped me through this hard time, helped me believe in myself, and who helped me realize I deserve more than I believed.

It's been a year since I started writing this, and I realize I was in a better state of mind when writing this, so I've returned to it. I've heard from Padfoot that you are in the Triwizard Tournament and I beg you to be safe. You remind me so much of James and I can't bear to lose you as well. He was rash, heroic, and would sometimes act without thinking, but I need you to stay safe for me, and for Padfoot. Dumbledore fears something bad will happen soon, and I have to admit, I agree. There has been a rise in the number of Ex-Death Eaters meeting, and with what happened at the Quidditch World Cup, we all need to be cautious. Confide in those you trust, and know I'm only an owl away.

With Sirius gone, I've been so consumed by grief that I didn't have time to write this. But it's the only thing that will keep me sane right now. Nymphadora and I wish to tell you about her son Teddy. He isn't related to me by blood, but Tonks feared the worst reactions from her family. So, we've agreed tell everyone he is mine. Sirius meant so much to so many people, and it pains me have seen him leave. You don't yet understand how much it hurt me to watch him die. I know he wouldn't have wanted to die any other way; he died a hero's death, and a hero he was. But, Harry, I fear my time will soon come as well.

The burrow has burnt down, and I can hardly believe all the havoc the Death Eaters have caused. I would tell you to stay out of trouble, but I'm sure Molly has told you that multiple times to no avail. I know you won't change your mind from saving those you care about. But I need to let you know you can't save everyone, and it isn't your burden to carry. James thought he carried the same burden, and he sometimes forgot, like I'm sure you have at times, that he had friends to help him through it. I wish more than ever that my closest friends were still here to help me, were still here as comfort and support. It's hard to realize you need something until it's gone, but you have to realize this isn't just your fight. Your friends play a part in your destiny, and you need to let them in to help you, just as I learned to do.

I've realized now that I won't live long enough to give you this letter. I've postponed for far too long, and now my time has run out. I survived one battle against Voldemort, but I know it is not in my destiny to survive another. I'm afraid to say that I cannot escape death. But, my dear boy, you must. I hate lying to you, and I've done it too many times to count. About so many little things, and about the biggest part of my life. I've given you a vial of my memories, which will explain a lot and hopefully give a small bit of insight into who your parents were as people. They welcomed me and all my insecurities with open arms, and I've been so blessed to have gotten to live this long and see you grow up. But I won't live to see you win this war, though I know you will win in the end, even if it doesn't feel that way.

My destiny is to be with Sirius, and yours to be a hero. They say legends never die, and I can only hope it's true. It pains me to be the last Marauder left alive, but I'll soon see their faces again. If you're reading this, I am dead, and that means all things will be explained. I loved you very much, like my own son, and I know you are confused, hurt, and saddened, but I know you can push through it. You are so strong, stronger than I ever could be.

The last Marauder,

xx Moony

Harry wiped the tears from his eyes, emotionally conflicted at the letter he had just read. He looked inside the second envelope and his eyes widened for a split second. True to his word, there was a bottle of Remus' memories inside. Harry apparated right outside the castle grounds, rushing inside and not minding that he was disrupting some of the first years who had no clue where to go. He would apologize later, but right now he had something of much greater importance to get to.

He sped up towards the new headmistress' office, and stopped when he reached the gargoyles. "Password," one said in a monotone voice, which could have held a slight bit of mockery, though Harry didn't notice. He was too busy scolding himself for not remembering to ask for a password. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the tapping of shoes walking up to the office. Nor the slight gasp of shock, accompanied by an abrupt halt.

"Mr. Potter!" came the surprised voice of Minerva McGonagall, the new Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry nearly jumped out of his skin with shock. He whipped around to face the headmistress, trying to force a smile onto his face, but failing miserably.

"Minerva! I was just coming to see you," he said, hand over his heart to calm himself.

"I can tell," Minerva replied, a small smile on her face. She climbed the stairs to her office, and opened the door for Harry to step through. She had it slightly re-furnished; it was different than Dumbledore's, but it still had many of his trinkets. The ones Harry hadn't destroyed, that is. It seemed even the stern professor was having trouble letting go. Once they were both inside and seated comfortably, she looked towards Harry, staring at the boy who she had taught for so many years. She gave him a nod, as if she was willing him to continue the conversation they had stopped outside.

"I need to use the Pensive. Please tell me you still have the Pensive. Remus he - he gave me some of his memories in a letter, and I need to look at them," Harry replied. He spoke in a rush, so much so that Minerva could hardly understand what he was saying. Luckily, after years of teaching Neville Longbottom, she had become accustomed to it.

"I presume, my dear, that you wish you view them alone." It hadn't been worded as a question, in fact, it almost seemed like she knew what the memories would hold. That was impossible, however, because Remus hadn't shared those memories with anyone but Harry. But he supposed Dumbledore would have known something, and he would have passed his wisdom onto Minerva.

Minerva left her office, which to her seemed a tad ironic, and started walking the halls, hoping Harry might not be too shocked at what he would find in the werewolf's memories.

Harry poured the memories into the Pensive and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

The first thing in the memory was a pair of stormy grey eyes, eyes Harry knew all too well. They belonged to his godfather Sirius Black.

\- Flashback -

It seemed to be a cold day a bit after the Marauders had graduated from Hogwarts, and the two boys were laughing with each other about James and Lily, who had been so wrapped up in each other that they fell into a pond. Remus suddenly stopped laughing and looked at the ground. His expression was downcast, and he looked deeply upset about something. "Do you think I'll ever be as in love and James and Lily?" Remus asked, his tone filled to the brim with sadness and longing.

This took Sirius by surprise, to him Remus was the most kind, caring, considerate, and intelligent person he knew. "Of course you will," Sirius replied, his voice final and firm. Why shouldn't his friend get a person to share his life with? Remus smiled at him in thanks and opened his book, resting his head against the tree they were sitting by. It wasn't comfortable for Sirius, however, so he opted to lay his head in Remus' lap instead.

"Will you read the book to me?" Sirius asked, surprising Remus. Remus just nodded and started reading the book aloud, knowing any sense of reasoning he would give would be disputed by the other boy. Sirius closed his eyes and listened to Remus' voice. As he was laying there, he started pondering why Remus would ask him if he would ever find love. Remus had warm chocolate eyes that Sirius loved to get lost in, and his scars made him look like a war hero. Remus' hair was a mix between dirty blonde and light brown, which Sirius found positively adorable. He deemed Remus perfectly date-worthy, and was surprised other girls didn't.

Sirius let his eyes open in shock. Was he developing feelings for his friend? Or had they always been there? But how could that be? Sirius was sure he'd only ever dated girls. Thinking back on it, Sirius noticed that he had never had any real feelings towards the girls he dated. He had never dwelled on it during earlier occasions, but he realized that whenever he would brag about another girl he had snogged, Remus would always look down and cover his face with a book.

He pondered that for a second. Did Remus have feelings for him? Surely not. It was plausible, however. Remus had always acted a bit odd towards Sirius, and if Sirius would introduce his current girl to his friends Remus would always politely find a way to leave the conversation. Remus did in fact have a crush on Sirius, he had since he first saw Sirius. So yes, it pained him to see Sirius using girls. It wasn't the fact that Sirius was snogging girls that bothered Remus, it was the fact that Sirius was snogging anyone but Remus.

Remus knew, however, that the idea of homosexuality was not widely accepted, and even though the wizarding community had different opinions, he was scared of even more rejection than he was already facing. He had stopped reading the book at this point and was studying Sirius' face. The sharp grey eyes that stared up at the sky when deep in thought, the shaggy black hair that framed his face perfectly. He tried to look away, but found he didn't really want to.

Sirius connected their gaze and Remus let himself get lost in Sirius' eyes for a few seconds, before Sirius spoke up, asking a question which would surprise his companion. "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Remus froze, shocked at the bluntness of the question and sure he had misinterpreted the meaning.

"Like, with James and Peter?" Remus replied, confusion evident in his tone.

Sirius chuckled deeply, making Remus hide his blush behind his book. "No like, just the two of us."

Remus' cheeks were on fire, but despite that, he felt overjoyed. He quickly dashed his hopes, reminding himself that he and Sirius were just friends. Nothing more would ever happen between them. Sirius could never love him, he was male, and a monster, but he would give it a try. Because everything deserves at least one try.

Two weeks later, at the time of the Hogsmeade date, though neither boy would call it that yet. Remus was dressed in a smart blue sweater, and simple jeans, while Sirius was wearing skinny jeans and a deep mahogany sweater. Each look complimented the other perfectly, the colors of fire and ice representing the wearers nicely.

They greeted each other with a hug, to which Remus pulled away quickly, a light pink tinting his cheeks. Sirius didn't fail to notice and smiled at Remus, which in turn made Remus turn a darker shade, more a crimson now than pink. Sirius felt his heart swell and ushered his friend into The Three Broomsticks. Most of the people in the establishment were busy and didn't notice the two walk in. That was fine with them, since they were nervous and in a world of their own.

They sat down and ordered two butterbeers, and Remus was surprised to see Sirius' gaze was still on him, not the server, who was someone Sirius would have gone for in Hogwarts. This gave Remus some courage and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Is this a date?" he asked, looking down at his hands while waiting for a response. Sirius pondered his answer for a second, but decided to see what teasing would do to his crush.

"How would you feel if it was?" Remus was shocked at this and hid his head in his arms out of embarrassment.

"I guess I wouldn't mind," came his muffled response, which Sirius found adorable.

"Then it's settled," he declared. Remus looked up, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

Sirius smiled, a full out grin. "It's a date." He took Remus' hands in his own, and they stared into each other's eyes, smiling like nothing else in the world mattered. They were each others entire world at that moment in time.

An excited squeal snapped both boys back into reality. Remus looked towards the end of their table to find Lily Evans, the only person who knew of Remus' crush on Sirius. It had been fourth year when he had confided this information in her and she had been super supportive, even going so far to offer help over the years. Of course, Remus always refused; he had wanted to keep the little dignity he felt he had left.

Sirius paled, fearing the girl's reaction. To his surprise, however, Lily hugged Remus and was going on about how she knew it would happen eventually, and how she always knew Remus could do it. Sirius let out a relieved sigh and smiled over at Remus. Remus mouthed the word 'help' over to Sirius, who let out a chuckle at his distressed friend.

Friends … actually, were they friends? Sirius didn't know how to feel about that, this was only their first date, after all. Were they still only friends? Surely they weren't together yet. Sirius was a bit frantic, he didn't know the first thing to do at the end of a date. Usually, he would buy a girl a butterbeer and they would start snogging before the date ended.

Lily had always been good at reading people, so when she saw Sirius falter and confusion start to cloud his grey eyes, she knew what she had to do. "So when is your second date? James and I planned a double date for the day after next, but Alice and Frank were busy and just canceled," Lily said, sliding herself in next to Remus and looking at Sirius while she spoke. Her arm was draped over Remus' shoulder and Sirius felt a bubble of jealousy form, though he quickly moved on.

"What do you say?" she asked, looking at Sirius, and was shocked at his response.

"That depends, Rem what do you think?" His voice held care and compassion, and the loving look in Sirius' eyes was enough to show that he really and truly cared for his date. Remus smiled a bit at his new nickname, Lily had always called him Remmy, so this was a new one.

"I think it sounds like a great idea. We'd love to go Lily."

Lily's face brightened in delight; she kissed Remus on the cheek as a goodbye and left The Three Broomsticks. She wasn't able to hold in her joy, so as soon as she was outside, she squealed in delight. James, who had been waiting outside, felt his eyebrows scrunch in confusion. "What's got you in a good mood, Lily-Flower?" he asked, using the nickname she had secretly grown fond of over the years.

"You'll see," came her cryptic response. James, however, shrugged it off, and the couple started walking towards Zonko's to pick up some supplies. Back inside The Three Broomsticks, Remus and Sirius were laughing and joking, Lily having successfully removed any remaining tension the two had felt. Sirius almost went in for a kiss, however, he refrained as he knew his shy companion would back off immediately.

Two days later, it was the double date. Sirius and Remus had agreed to arrive first and keep a table, and Lily in return had said that she and James would buy the drinks. Sirius and Remus were deep in conversation when they heard the voice of their loud and sometimes obnoxious friend, James Potter. They ignored it at first, until he made a loud comment sure to embarrass all three boys later.

"Moony! You finally got yourself a girl!" he shouted across the room, making Sirius cringe and Remus burst into a fit of silent laughter. He tried to hide behind the book he brought with him, but failed miserably. James' face morphed into one of confusion as he saw Sirius sitting next to Remus. Realization dawned on him as he heard Lily's overjoyed cry of, "You actually showed up!"

"I never thought I'd see the day where James Potter was rendered speechless," Remus said, standing up to hug Lily and then helping her into her seat. Sirius, however, had sat nervously awaiting his best friends response. It was very important to him, what if James didn't accept this, what would he do then?

"Good on you Pads, you treat him right." That was the moment Sirius Black burst into laughter, it held a mixture of relief and joy, and it was contagious to say the least.

Pretty soon, James joined in and Remus was trying hard not to smile at the sight of his love interest and said love interest's best friend holding onto each other for support, trying desperately to catch their breaths. Lily giggled and her eyes shone with pride, she was overjoyed with James for accepting this. His support was desperately needed, as she knew for certain that the couple across from them would not always receive the support their friends gave them.

Remus had gotten up with Lily, as she didn't think she could carry the drinks by herself, which all three boys knew was untrue - she had graduated top of their class - but played along anyway. Once they were out of earshot, James directed his gaze over to Sirius. "Have you kissed yet?" Sirius chuckled, looking over at his friend.

"Evans didn't tell you anything did she? This is only our second date."

James smirked at Sirius and Sirius felt cautious as to what James planning. "Perfect time to kiss him then, that way he knows exactly how you feel and you know exactly how he feels, no need to go further if he hates it." Sirius gave his friend a look of disbelief. James Potter was telling HIM this?

"What would you know about backing off? The only girl you ever liked knew about your feelings for her and didn't express the same ones for seven years. You only started dating six months ago." Sirius always came up with good retorts, which would usually render people speechless and without a comeback.

James, who was indeed left without a witty reply, looked down and muttered a sheepish, "Touché."

"But, if that's what you recommend, I'll give it a try."

James head shot up and he gave Sirius a toothy grin. Remus and Lily came back seconds later with four butterbeers in hand and set them down on the table. Remus slumped into his seat next to Sirius and watched as his companion let out a chuckle. "What's got you so exhausted?"

Remus glared playfully over at Lily who held up her hands in mock surrender. "I just got interrogated." James and Sirius glanced at each other and burst out laughing for the second time that day. As the date drew to a close, Lily and James payed and left, leaving Sirius and Remus to walk to the park alone. It was fine with them, they had both gotten advice earlier and planned to use it.

The next bit was foggy, all anyone would be able make out was that Sirius had kissed Remus before the memory changed. This time there were a bunch of boxes in an apartment, each labeled with an S or R depending on whose box it was.

Three months later. Sirius and Remus had bought an apartment together and they had just gotten all of their boxes into the apartment. None of the boxes were unpacked, as they had some redecorating to get to before that could happen. Even though Sirius liked to think he would help, both secretly knew that Remus would be the one unpacking most things.

They had a guest bedroom and were sharing a bed, which Remus had protested to at first but had eventually caved and agreed to share. They were currently deciding on what color to paint the walls, as they had both agreed white was awful.

"What about grey for the hallways? And then each room a different color." Remus had a plan and it was clear in his voice.

"What colors were you thinking? You do know we only have six rooms to paint, right?" Sirius had to choke back a laugh at the answer he got. "Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple." "So basically the entire rainbow?" Remus nodded, which caused Sirius to chuckle. "Seems fitting."

A couple of minutes passed, and the two decided to apparate into the nearby wizarding village to get some supplies. Most magical families would prefer to use magic, but Sirius and Remus had decided it would make for a better experience if they painted it by hand.

An hour later and the hallways were finished, along with the bathroom and kitchen. However, the other rooms were still white, which the two decided to leave for then. Sirius made dinner, which shocked Remus as he didn't realize his boyfriend knew how to use a stove, let alone cook them pasta.

The memory faded into another one, this time the house was painted and the couple's items were organized to perfection. Harry thought that it was most likely Remus' doing as Sirius wasn't known for being an organized person. The doorbell rang and Remus had hopped up to get it, opening the door to reveal James Potter and Lily Evans with some exciting news.

"Grey? Really Pads? Why was that the color of choice?" Sirius let out a chuckle and pulled James into a side hug. Lily raised a questioning eyebrow towards Remus who motioned for her to follow him. Looking into the first room she gasped, this was the guest bedroom which was blue. As he showed her throughout the house, she kept commenting on each different room.

She got to the main bedroom, which happened to be a deep crimson, she gave Remus a pointed look with a smirk on her face. "Rainbow really? You little devil." They heard shouts from the living room of "Rainbow?! Pads that is hilarious!" along with the laughter of both friends. Lily walked back into the living room and over to James, then grabbed his arm as she looked towards the couple standing before her.

"James and I are getting married!" Sirius and Remus congratulated the two and they all shared dinner, Lily and James both voicing their surprise at Sirius having made it. To which Remus started cracking up, Sirius giving him a playful shove and a quick kiss on the lips. "You two are too adorable." James nodded at what his fiancee said, agreeing wholeheartedly with her statement.

\- End of Flashback -

\- Present Day -

Harry pulled himself out of the Pensive. He sat in shocked silence for a few minutes, there had been so much he hadn't known. He felt a tad disappointed that he didn't get to see his parent's wedding, although he figured he could have just asked Molly who had been there, after all. He walked out of Hogwarts, a sense of nostalgia filling him. He made sure to thank Minerva as he left and apparated home once far enough away from the castle.

Ginny was there waiting with dinner ready. "What did you find out?" He looked over at his wife with a tired chuckle.

"I'll tell you later. It's quite a shocker."

Ginny nodded in understanding and the pair sat down at the table, Harry playing with little Teddy Lupin, now knowing the truth about everything.

* * *

Remus and Sirius looked down upon their godson with smiles upon their faces. "So you did it all in a letter, huh, Rem?"

Remus laughed and nodded his head. "Yeah. Didn't know how else I could." He had a sheepish smile on his face. Even in death, he was calm and timid. "At least, he knows."

Finally, there was nothing left that either regretted.

Realizing this, they both turned to each other with smiles on their faces. Their friends and families had all moved on to the afterlife, having no regrets keeping them in the in between, and now Remus and Sirius could do the same. They smiled at each other, and it was Sirius that spoke as they rose into the afterlife.

"Let's go join James and Lily. Let's go join our friends."


	3. Golden Fate

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 904

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Colour] Gold

It's very AU-ish

* * *

Draco Malfoy was surrounded by gold. Be it in the fall leaves, or the sun that would occasionally peek through the clouds. Even when he went back to his apartment, he couldn't completely escape the color. It was in the tiny clock on the wall, engraved into the cutlery, and painted in his bedroom. The bedroom wasn't his idea, of course. It was his boyfriend's idea, and he had liked it - at first, that is. He could clearly remember the discussion they'd had that evening.

"Draco, we are not painting the entire house green and silver!"

"Fine, one room gets to be gold. Only one, though."

Thinking back on it now, Draco realised he had never specified which room, and so, Harry had chosen their bedroom. He smiled at the memory, something he was doing more often around people. Before Harry had helped him, showed him what it meant to be loved, actually loved, he had hardly ever smiled. And he had cherished the color gold, up until today that was.

He couldn't even escape to his manor without seeing the wretched color; his mother's jewelry, the pillars outside, the railings on the balconies. Everything around him seemed to be golden in some way, shape, or form. But why was he so annoyed with this color? The answer was simple. He had been trying to figure out a way to propose to his boyfriend of two years, Harry Potter, and he wanted to get them both rings, rings with one of the colors of each of their houses.

However, no wizard sold aurous wedding bands, and he didn't want to go to his mother for help. She would only ask questions, questions that he wouldn't be up for answering. He was highly annoyed, gold was everywhere, everywhere but where he needed it.

An idea formed in his mind. Why go to any old muggle jeweler, when he could find the brightest witch he knew and have her help him out? This witch was, of course, Hermione Granger, who was one of the only people who had forgiven Draco after the war. And she was Harry's friend, she would want what was best for him, right? It was around four in the afternoon, so he figured she would be at the Burrow, where she and Ron were currently living.

He apparated to the Burrow, brushing off his clothing, glancing down at his gold buttons. He let out a sharp breath and walked up to the door, knocking on it. As he stood outside, waiting in the harsh fall wind, he noticed how the flowers stuck outside were golden; how the knocker, which he had previously used, was golden, with a thin layer of rust coating the outer edges.

The door opened and he was met with the bright face of Hermione Granger, who squealed and gave him a hug, practically dragging him into her home. She made some tea and the two sat down, making small talk, until Draco decided to bring up his issue.

"There's a reason why I'm here, though, Hermione. You see, I need a pair of rings that would represent Harry and I."

Hermione nodded, eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion. "And you came to me because...?"

Draco let out a sigh, annoyance flashing across his features and sticking there. "Golden wedding bands. I can't find them anywhere."

Hermione nodded her head for the second time, thinking for a second before a smile crept onto her face. "I think I might have just the spell."

Draco let out a nervous chuckle, setting down his empty teacup, which was white with little pink roses spread across it. Hermione led Draco to the kitchen counter and the two got to work.

By the time the two were finished, it was nearly midnight. Draco realized this might have worried his lover, but he brushed it off, thanking the Gryffindor before apparating to his apartment. He smiled at the sight of Harry, curled up in a golden blanket, lying on their silver couch, sound asleep.

He carried his lover to their bed, using magic as an aid, tucking him in and sitting on the end. Harry stirred a tad, disoriented as he hadn't remembered moving from the couch. He mumbled a soft, "Draco?" Draco leaned over towards Harry and placed a small kiss upon his forehead. Harry smiled in relief, closing his eyes and falling, yet again, into a soft slumber.

Draco smiled at the sight of his lover, wondering how on earth he had been so lucky. After all he'd done, all the pain he had caused, he got this. A wonderful lover, some true friends, and soon, an actual family, one that would accept him for loving a Gryffindor.

He smiled at the thought, opening the box of rings which Hermione had helped him craft. They were perfect. The first a pale silver, with forest green engravings of a snake which would belong to Draco, and the other a bright gold with crimson engravings of lions which was for Harry.

It was perfect for him and Harry, their house colors and animal sitting on rings designed for each of them. This caused Draco to start thinking, why hadn't he just gone to Hermione from the start? It seemed like she knew exactly what to do - then again, when didn't she?

 ** _After all, he thought with a smile, who knows gold better than a Gryffindor?_ **


	4. Insufferable Git

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 384

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [First Line] The parchment he/she just received simply said very clever.

* * *

The parchment she just received simply said very clever. Hermione had no clue why she had just been delivered a note with only two words, or what this referred to. She was, in every sense of the word, confused. She'd figure it out later, she thought decidedly; it shouldn't take too long. So, she tossed the note into her satchel.

She declined dinner with Harry and Ron, choosing instead to get a headstart on deciphering the note. She ran into her dorm and locked the door, grabbing the closest book of spells and flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She muttered the incantation under her breath, waiting for the spell to reveal who had written and sent the note.

Draco Malfoy

Hermione let it sink in for a second, confusion washing over her features. Why would Draco Malfoy send her a note? On top of that, why would he send her a compliment? Was it even a compliment, or was it written with sarcastic intentions? Hermione let out an aggravated sigh. Why couldn't anything be simple?

She didn't sleep that night. In fact, she didn't get any sleep for a week, the questions in her mind loud enough to drive it away. She hardly remembered ever taking her tests and exams, and when she got the results she let out a scream of frustration. Only one O, everything else was an E. Frustratingly, not at all good enough.

Her eyes widened in realization; this meant Malfoy was the top of the class, and he would never let her forget it. Sure enough, the next morning he had a smug smirk on his face, his friends laughing as Hermione passed. And she thought back to the note, those two infuriating words still didn't make any sense...Or did they?

Had he been calling himself clever, knowing she would think too far into that tiny note? He had known this would happen, thought an indignant Hermione, He did this on purpose! That had to be the reason; it was the only explanation. Hermione wasn't a judgemental person, but she had earned every right to judge the blond boy. So, whenever someone would ask her about the Malfoy, she would let out a one lined reply.

"Draco Malfoy is an insufferable git."


	5. A True Hero

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 897

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [First Line] He looked down at what was left of their money - fifteen galleons and twenty-five knuts.

Very, Very AU, just a heads up!

* * *

He looked down at what was left of their money - fifteen galleons and twenty-five knuts. That wasn't enough to last them, of that he was sure. His mother was ill, and the medicine alone would be 10 galleons or more. He couldn't ask anyone for help, for he had no one to ask. He had lost his only friend years ago with a mistake, something he deeply regretted.

As he walked down the street, he would get looks of disgust, or occasionally he would get looks of pity. Some things never changed, as that was how it was when he was at Hogwarts. Those he faintly knew in his own house would give him pity, while those in Gryffindor would give him looks of utter loathing, all except one person - his best friend.

But that friend was long gone, a mistake he had made in his youth causing this tear in their friendship. He had no one left to help him, and he needed something to keep him and his mother going. His mother had recently divorced his father, leaving him the option of whom he would rather take care of. He had chosen his mother, her having been the kindest to him in his youth.

He walked into the wizarding shop, buying some potions to help his mother and walked out. He started the walk home, although he could have just apparated, but he liked the fresh air, and besides, it gave him some time to think. What was it he needed? A job, which was what his mother had suggested, but she only wanted him to be happy working, and he hadn't found anything yet.

He looked up at the posters on the notice board. A picture of Hogwarts was stuck up there with a caption saying, 'Professors Wanted!', and that was when it hit him. That school, that magical place he grew up in, the castle that had been more of a home to him than his actual house, in which he would be lonely more often than not, could be his saving grace yet again. He could get a job there, as a professor. He had always enjoyed the art of potions, and defence against the dark arts. It would finally be a chance to do something he loved.

He smiled for the first time in ages, walking into his home and rushing to his mother, giving her the potion and then making himself a cup of tea. He would go the next day, he decided, in order to get a job at that wonderful school.

And sure enough, there he sat, wearing a deep blue sweater, and a pair of jeans, waiting patiently for the interview to start. He was applying for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, and was sure he qualified. He was, however, wrong.

"I apologize, but I can not give you the Defence Against the Dark Arts position."

Dumbledore had spoken calmly, his voice soft, like it had always been. How could he have been so blind? He would never get a job he would be happy doing. But he was wrong again, at least for now.

"I can, however, allow you to teach Potions."

Weeks later, on the first day of term, a bunch of new faces greeted him, bright smiles on their faces. He smiled back, the first years giddy, just like he had been. As he was walking down the halls after his class, he spotted a young boy, a first year without a doubt, with flaming red hair, brown eyes, and freckles all over his young face. The boy was being picked on by other students. He started walking over, eyes burning with a purpose. He knew how it felt to be bullied, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let this happen to other students, not if he could help it.

The students, clad in green robes, quickly ran away at the sight of their teacher, leaving the small red-robed Gryffindor lying on the ground. The boy looked up, taking the outstretched hand, and giving a pained smile.

"I'm William, William Weasley." He offered his small hand, and the professor couldn't help but smile.

"Severus Snape." Severus took young William's hand, leading him to the hospital wing. He sat with the young boy and then escorted him to his next class. And, as the years went by, William grew close to the teacher. When his teacher suddenly changed, it left him with many questions.

You see, Severus Snape had just gotten word that Lily Evans, his best friend, the person he would never stop loving no matter how hard he tried, was dead, and so was her husband. The only one left alive was their son. William didn't know this, however, so when his teacher arrived at graduation, dressed in black robes, and with a scowl on his pale face, William was left confused.

Years later, when all of his brothers would complain about the teacher, he would stick up for him, ignoring their laughs. Because he was the only one who knew him, who had gotten so close to him when he was younger.

William Weasley was left with memories of his teacher, the person who had guided him through his years at Hogwarts.

Severus Snape might've been a villain to most. But to William he was a true hero.


	6. Monsters with Green Eyes

**House: Ravenclaw**

 **Word Count: 2401**

 **Category: Themed**

 **Prompt(s): [First Line] When you think about it, humans are strange creatures, especially when they're wizards.**

 **WARNING: An AU where Ginny can see the jealousy in people's eyes!**

* * *

When you think about it, humans are strange creatures, especially when they're wizards. They feel emotions, and will act rashly towards one or another, without logic or reason. Happiness, Sadness, Fear, Anger, Jealousy; all of these elicit reactions. Fear and Anger cause terrible things, horrible outcomes. Happiness and Sadness bring smaller reactions, a mere smile or a frown. But the most horrifying emotion I've seen humans express is Jealousy.

This emotion seems to ruin humans, ruin their lives, the essence of who they are. Their friendships, their love lives, in tatters due to jealousy and suspicion. Even bonds formed by the closest of families can be broken. On one account, I faintly remember a large family, envy choosing to root itself deep into the heart of the third eldest son, the only daughter left to watch it devour him. She herself knowing how this evil emotion worked, better, maybe, than anyone else.

* * *

Ginny Weasley had watched as all of her brothers before her went to Hogwarts, leaving her alone in the house to play with dolls, or to yank out weeds with her Mum in the garden, or to help her Dad with his Ford Anglia. She was young, however, and so the tedious - or, as Ginny saw them, exciting - chores were never hers to help complete. No, little Ginny never got to do anything her brothers did.

My guess is that was when the jealousy had latched on to her, only proving to grow stronger each year until she left for Hogwarts.

And then, finally, it was her turn, Molly kissed each child on the head, before ushering them onto the train. Body wracked with nerves, mind a complete jumble, she stood to take her place beneath the Sorting Hat. Her jealousy had diminished slightly, but still remained, dormant and hidden in the cracks of her soul. It was just waiting for it's time to strike. She was sorted into Gryffindor, just like her entire family before her had been, but she couldn't help but wish she had been something else. Just so her parents would notice that she was different. Separate from her brothers, not just another head of red hair, not just another Weasley.

The days passed by, and her brothers didn't pay any attention to her, well, except for the occasional wave from Percy, or half a smile from Ron. She couldn't help but let the jealousy seep back into her heart; she didn't have countless friends like Fred and George, she didn't have book smarts like Percy, and she didn't have glory, like Ron. Ron had something she wanted for herself. Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived, as a friend, confidant, or maybe something more. If she was being honest with herself, she had a massive crush on him.

But every time she would get close enough to talk to him, Ron would steer him away, and point him in a different direction, talking about Potions Class, or Quidditch. Then, Valentines Day came and Professor Lockhart had said they could write letters to their 'Valentine'. Ginny jumped at the chance; she could show everyone she was good at something, poetry couldn't be that hard. But her poem turned out horribly, everyone laughed at it, and there were others who had written things far better than Ginny. She was unoriginal, a complete failure.

Slowly, her eyes were turning greener, not that anyone else could see it - in fact it was only truly present when she stared at herself searchingly in the mirror. But then, it all changed. She started writing to Tom, and he understood. He knew what it was like, and he could sympathize with her. He told her the emotions she felt towards her family and classmates were normal, and he had felt the exact same way during his years at school. Her heart had been opened, and surely one would think this was a good thing.

But it just allowed her soul to be filled with envy, her open heart the fastest way for Tom to poison her mind. She didn't realize this until it was far too late, she didn't realize the emotion that had turned her eyes green. Ginny Weasley didn't realize the monster she had become, the monster she had been letting lose on the school. All because of her jealousy over her brothers' lives, and how perfect they seemed.

Then she was free, and there had been Hermione, who had told her how very brave she was, how very special she was, told her she was unique. That had been the first time Ginny had heard those words spoken about her. She liked the sound of them, admittedly, and she vowed to never let her emotions control her again. Her eyes were no longer green, and for that she was glad. When she looked in the mirror, she saw her warm brown eyes gazing back at her, and she felt safe.

She checked each morning to make sure they were still brown, scared that jealousy would percolate her life again - and it did. But not to her, nor as soon as she had been afraid of. It was during the summer before her third year that she noticed it, noticed the green eyes staring back at her from afar. Except, it wasn't in her reflection, but in her brother.

Oh, how that terrified her. Percy, smart, brave, perfect Percy, had green at the edge of his eyes. When she first saw it she didn't know why it was even there, perhaps he was jealous of Ron - after all Ron was friends with the very famous Harry Potter. Or maybe Bill and Charlie, who were both accomplished and praised. That might've been it, but Ginny had to focus on this year.

Surely she had time, she thought, to be able to work on this once she got home from school for the summer. So, that year, she continued on as normal, keeping a close eye on all of her brothers, fearing the same would begin with them. Then, one day in her third year, she saw it, the eyes again. Not in her, nor in Percy, as he was home for the ministry, but in her youngest brother.

It couldn't have been long after Harry got chosen as a champion. She was walking by Ron and noticed his eyes had turned a striking green. Though he was laughing, she knew he was hiding his true feelings. But it was already too late, because his eyes didn't have just a tint to them like Percy's, they already looked like hers had those few years ago. She saw it every day, and it was directed towards his best friend.

She knew how this emotion could ruin people, ruin friendships, and it was happening slowly with her brother and The Boy Who Lived. Soon, the two wouldn't even talk with each other, or so Hermione had told her despairingly. It seemed, that with each passing day, the trio grew further apart, Hermione the only one attempting to fix their broken friendship. Ginny, her only source of comfort, felt saddened. This was not because of her role in the problem, but because she had no hope of preventing it.

One night, sometime before the second challenge, she hopped out of bed, determination dancing in her eyes. She would be brave. For Hermione, she could do that. She set out a plan, working on it all night, barely noticing when her friends would talk to her, too consumed with her self-set task to comprehend what they were saying. She started talking to Ron, trying to get his eyes to go back to normal. It was all in vain, however, as he would brush her off, or tell her to go away. Then the day of the second task arrived; when he disappeared worry gripped at Ginny's heart because what if he had done something he would regret? Hermione had also vanished along with Cho Chang and a little girl from Beauxbatons.

Ginny told herself it was okay, that envy wasn't the cause of this, but she couldn't be sure. She sat with Luna in the stands, hands gripping the bottom of her seat, her knuckles white. Time passed and Harry still hadn't come up, Hermione was back up, so was Cho and their two champions. Fleur had failed, and had been on dry land for most of the round. The hour was up, the sound of the bell registered only faintly in Ginny's mind. Panic arose from within her - there was still no sign of Harry, Ron, or the little girl from Beauxbatons.

She saw a head of red hair pop up from underwater and practically flew to the dock, grabbing a blanket from Madam Pomfrey, quickly wrapping it around her shivering brother. When he opened his eyes, they were almost completely brown, a tinge of jealousy still in his heart, but out of his mind. For now, at least. She felt relieved; it wasn't that bad, no one had died, all was well.

Then, when Neville asked her to the Yule Ball, she was elated. She owled her mum right away, told Luna what had happened, and the two spent a good day shopping for a dress in Hogsmeade. But then, just when she thought things were beginning to turn around, there it was, the green eyes were back. Ron was once again in possession of a pair of green orbs. This time, however, the envy was aimed towards Krum, the champion from Durmstrang. She let out a small smile, at the realisation. It wasn't disastrous, he was just jealous because Krum had taken Hermione to the ball.

But it did end in tears, as jealousy always would, one way or another. So, Ginny found herself comforting Hermione, telling her it would all be okay. Ron was just jealous, he was being stupid. And Hermione had smiled, though Ginny could see the shreds of sadness still lingering in her eyes. The two had hugged, and laughed, as friends.

Ginny found their friendship ironic, in her first year she had been jealous of Hermione as well. Envious of her intelligence and strength. Hermione had gotten the attention of each and every one of her brothers. But now she didn't mind it, the two had grown close, each would go to the other for advice, and they would gossip about the silliest of things. That night, she had decided to tell Hermione she could see the green in people's eyes. And Hermione believed her, unlike her mother, who had told her she just had an overactive imagination.

They went home for the summer, after the Ministry tried to cover up what Harry had seen. And there was Percy, eyes growing greener by the day, each of his siblings shown more affection than he was. Ginny saw this, but she was the only one who had, and therefore the only one who could even attempt to stop it. So, she sat with him, asked him about his job, though the details were mundane, listened to him about little things that he had been able to accomplish. She gave him praise where it was due, and tried her very hardest to get the horrid color to leave his eyes.

They were all in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, Headquarters for the Order. This, Ginny presumed, was the final strike. The final strike that closed off Percy's mind, and opened his heart to the poison that had claimed her briefly. Ginny's words no longer helping, his mind blocked any praise he would receive. Soon, Ginny could only watch, as her mother wept, and her siblings sneered. Percy left the house, this time for good, one too many sarcastic, cutting remarks closing the door on family.

He didn't write, which worried Ginny greatly, though not more than it worried Molly who was in tears every few minutes. Then, she noticed something, as Hermione and Ron both got prefect positions, and praise from Dumbledore, who came to Headquarters himself to congratulate them. He had ignored Harry, and Harry had noticed.

At school she saw something in his eyes, they seemed darker somehow, but she wasn't sure if that was just a trick of the light. She felt worry clawing at her heart, panic seeping into her thoughts, her brain going into overdrive. It was then that she realized the flaw in her ability, she wouldn't be able to tell if the person already had green eyes. She decided she would have to check somewhere else, find another way to be able to tell.

So, she decided to suck it up, throw all her nerves into a pile at the corner of her mind, and talk to Harry. When she did, he wouldn't reply, at least not at first. It was like he knew what was happening, what she was trying to do. But then he spoke, small words, even smaller sentences, but it was enough. His tone was bitter, held anger and betrayal, and beneath all of that, sorrow. So, she comforted him, the way she wished she had been in her first year. And it helped, even though it was only a miniscule amount.

Tragedy struck towards the end of the year. Sirius had died, and Harry was beyond angry. But beneath all that anger was sadness, a sadness Ginny would never understand, even if she tried. The green eyes were gone, she couldn't see that slight shadow in them anymore, and she was very thankful for that. Her friends and family didn't deserve any more hardships this year.

But then the Burrow burned down, George lost an ear, and though he attempted to joke about it, Ginny knew he was cut-up about it. Still, he was an upbeat person, he would work through it. He had Fred, Bill had Fleur, and now she had Harry. She had the thing she had wanted for so very long. Yes, jealousy had torn things apart in her life, and yes, she was in the middle of a war. Lives would be lost, people damaged, and emotions the cause of such things.

Jealousy would always strike a little green into people's eyes, Ginny was sure of it. But things would always work themselves out in the end. There would be a happy outcome to all of this.

 _There just had to be._


	7. With Wings of Freedom

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 398

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [Creature] Abraxan

 _ **AU - Draco gets a pet.**_

* * *

Draco Malfoy wanted a winged horse. But not just any winged horse, no. He wanted an Abraxan; the red-eyed creature was something he had been wanting ever since he saw it in his fourth year. They symbolized nobility, grace, _power_ \- all the things he desired.

That was why he was standing in a wizarding zoo, watching his father argue with a staff member. Draco was stood in front of the Abraxan enclosure, watching the majestic creatures walk past him - and then he saw it, the one he _had_ to have.

It was staring at him, eyes a lighter shade than the rest, and it was walking towards him, maintaining eye contact, edging ever so slightly towards the edge of its enclosure. As it got nearer and nearer to Draco, he felt a slight fear towards the rare being. He was afraid; he didn't know what was going to happen next, but the creature was gentle, unlike the rest of it's rambunctious herd.

Pale blue feathers lightly brushed his cheek as the Abraxan reached out a wing. Draco smiled, looking into the creature's eyes. They held sadness, and longing, and instantly Draco knew this was because of the space it was trapped in. He couldn't explain how, or why, but he had grown attached to the creature, even though it had only been minutes.

"You may pick one." The voice wasn't his father's, and it held a tad of exasperation in its tone. Draco watched his father walk up to him, a proud smirk settled onto his face. And his eyes asked the question, which one will it be? Draco let a soft smile slip onto his face as he pointed at the creature he had so quickly bonded with.

Within half an hour the Abraxan was his, but it wasn't a selfish want anymore, it was an urge to help the creature. So when he returned to his manor, he made sure the gardens were perfect, having researched the breed earlier in the day. They like companionship, and Draco swore to give all he could.

But first, he had to give it a name. It was female, he had been told, the softness of the eyes and slight curve of the feathers to show. And as he looked upon this noble creature, this mythical being that held grace and beauty, he knew what that name would be.

 **"Pearl."**


	8. Together Until the End

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 571 (according to google docs)

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Pairing] Pansy/Astoria

* * *

Astoria Greengrass was a pure blooded Slytherin, as all of her family had always been. She was likely set to have an arranged marriage with some other pureblood, so that they could produce more pure blooded babies, and keep the family name going.

But why did it have to be a boy that she married? If the girl was a pureblood, then why should gender matter? But, of course, she didn't say anything, as she didn't want to be cast out or disowned. She loved her family more than anything, and if that meant marrying a rich boy she didn't love, then she was fine with that.

Or so she told herself. Yet, she had a problem, of sorts. Namely, Pansy Parkinson. Her friend, whom she was inexplicably attracted to. Her friend, who had also told Astoria that she liked her in that way, too. But there was no telling what their parents would say. And that frightened them. So Pansy pretended to like Draco, and Astoria pretended to like Blaise, and the two told themselves that they could be _happy_.

It was hard. Too hard. They began dating in secret, away from the prying eyes of Hogwarts. Sharing short sweet kisses in a tree, or behind a bush, or anywhere else that they wouldn't get caught. Soon they found the room of requirement; it had everything they needed for dates, and the room itself kept their secrets. But they knew that this wouldn't last long, and soon enough the shame and guilt of not telling their parents became too much. It was almost Christmas, and the two families were planning to go away together. The girls decided to announce it there, and face the reactions.

It wasn't as bad as they had anticipated. The families were fine with it, even preferring it, as it meant both family names lived on. Parkinson and Greengrass. One way or another, they could both have children of their own. But the relationship was to be kept quiet. No one was to know.

So they were resigned to the room of requirement and made sure to keep the romantic side of them hidden around others. War was the topic of many conversations, especially after the death of Cedric Diggory. But the ministry covered it up, and both knew that war might tear them apart. Hell, they might not both survive the war.

And as they fought in this war, they did everything to ensure they would have a life together. It wouldn't get them anywhere to die, of that, they were sure, because if one died the other would quickly follow. But they had gotten split up during the battle, and neither had the dark mark so they couldn't find each other. Harry Potter was going to win, and they would help him every step of the way, even if separated. Sure they had been against him in the past, but a world with Voldemort as sole ruler, it was too much to even think about.

They had survived. They had done it, together. The two shared an embrace, sobbing with each other, sharing a kiss, not caring who saw, or what would happen. They had made it, and that was all that mattered. Astoria was impossible to calm down. She was overjoyed that they had won, and deeply saddened at the insurmountable lives lost.

But they had done it, as they always would.

 **Together.**


	9. Potions Partners

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 2578

Category: Bonus

Bonus: Disney Classics/Princesses (Cinderella).

Prompt(s): [Colour] Turquoise

* * *

Something was wrong. _Very_ wrong. How could Hermione tell? There were cobble streets, and horse-drawn carriages, the mansions that came from times in the past were surrounding her.

"Where in Merlin's name are we?" She whipped around, staring at the face of Draco Malfoy, who appeared to be stuck with her in, wherever they were. Hermione was beyond confused; she had previously been in potions class, stuck with the annoying Slytherin as a partner for the lesson.

"How would I know?"

"Don't give me that Granger, you spend most of your time in the library, there had to be something in those books."

She was already annoyed, knowing this situation wasn't ideal, and wishing greatly she had gotten a different partner in the lesson.

It wasn't her choice, however, Slughorn had decided to bring utter chaos to the classroom and pick partners himself. She had been stuck with the obnoxious blonde, and he was just adding the last ingredient to the potion, so she was baffled as to how they could've ended up wherever this was.

Draco was silent, of which Hermione was glad, as they trekked through the unknown streets. There was shouting coming from a mansion further down the road and, as Hermione walked alongside her taller companion, she couldn't help but feel like this was familiar to her, somehow.

"Excuse me!" She called out, upon seeing a blonde-haired girl who couldn't have been much older than she was. The girl was standing behind a large fence, which seemed to enclose a large manor. The girl's attention snapped to her - it seemed as though she was cautious. Although who wouldn't be, two strangers walking up to you in odd clothing, though Hermione couldn't feel her robes anymore.

She looked towards Draco, and saw him in an expensive suit jacket and tie, though it wasn't the modern type she had seen her father don so many times. As she looked down, she found herself in a small dress a maid might wear. Draco seemed to have noticed the same thing and was snickering behind his hand, struggling to stay standing up. It seemed that even in this time period she was below him in status. She scowled.

"Granger this is hilarious. Why aren't you laughing?"

"You know full well why I'm not laughing Malfoy, shut it." She had given him a glare, trying to think of a way to grab the girl's attention. The snickering of her companion doing a great job of distracting her from her thoughts.

"Excuse me! My friend and I seem to be a bit lost!" Hermione tried again, causing the girl to walk up to the fence and stare down at her. She let out a smile after seeing Hermione's outfit, pulling both students of the magical school in through the outer gates of the residence.

"You must have been going to the King's ball. He's been expecting the young Lord for a while." Confusion clouded her mind, the turquoise house lying in front of the three distracting her from her thoughts. _Lord? Who on earth?_ Realization graced her features as she stared at Draco, who was standing proudly, that wretched smirk still stuck on his face. Hermione gave him a quick glare and looked back towards the girl with a fake smile.

"I need to talk to _the Lord_ for a second." Hermione quickly dragged Draco a little bit away, checking the folds of her skirt, thankful to find her wand still hidden there. "Malfoy, I know we hate each other, but we need to work together." There was a snort from Draco, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.

"Look. I know it isn't ideal, but if we don't work together, we'll never get back to our world." Draco seemed to finally understand, nodding, his snobbish act surprisingly leaving him, though Hermione wasn't sure for how long. They made certain of two things before moving back towards the blonde girl at the gates; one, that Draco also had his wand; and two, that Hermione still had her book of spells, minimised just before potions class. Having found their items, they smiled at the girl in front of them, mentally preparing.

"Would mind stepping inside our home? I must tell mother so she may alert the King of the Lord's arrival." Hermione shrugged and nodded her head, listening to Draco's complaints of, "Why do we have to go inside?" or, "Where are we going?" She had finally managed to shut him up after giving him a sharp glare, something she had done a lot in the time they had been here.

"You know, I'm glad you finally arrived, The King had said the Lord would help the Prince get ready for the ball, while his maid, which is you, would assist around our Manor until after the ball." Hermione listened to the sound of the other girl's voice as they entered a small sitting room. It was so very _familiar_ , though she couldn't tell where from. If her mother was here she would know, that Hermione was sure of.

The blonde maiden departed from the sitting room in a rush, leaving Hermione and Draco a few seconds of silence before they knew they would have to socialize again. The silence had gotten to the both of them after around ten minutes, and Hermione decided to start up conversation, or try to, at least. Deciding to see if Draco had any information that could possibly help them.

"Where do you think we are? You have a manor like this one, what was it inspired by?"

"How would I know Granger?"

"You boast about your lavish home constantly, if you can brag about it you should at least know where it came from."

"I would like to keep our interactions to a minimum Granger, now be quiet, or my father _will_ hear about this. All you need to do is find a way for us to escape." She watched as he turned his head away from her, realizing that he wasn't going to change completely. A retort was on the tip of her tongue, though it was quickly stopped by a shrill shout coming from further within the house.

"Cinderella!" Hermione felt her face pale drastically, turning towards Draco with a horrified look on her face. That was why this was all so familiar, she had seen this movie when she was younger, it was even a favorite of hers currently. But then a thought struck her, she knew what went on in the story, she knew how it had to end. And maybe then they could work on getting back.

Draco to let out an awkward cough, forcing Hermione to snap out of her joyful daze.

"This was a movie I watched when I was younger, I know what we have to do, come closer." She whispered her plan into his ear, moving back with a smile. Draco had a mischievous grin on his face, and he nodded, happy that they would get to go home sooner than if they had been clueless. And Hermione couldn't help but wonder if this had happened to any other students, and if they were both from pure blooded families she didn't think she wanted to know.

Two girls burst into the room, followed by a noblewoman who wore a scowl like it was sculpted there. Though it quickly vanished as she saw the blonde boy and Hermione, who was quickly ushered to join Cinderella in the corner of the room, just as the King and his son strode in. They simply embraced Draco, causing Hermione to force back a giggle at his face, and then left with him.

A few minutes later and the two girls were cleaning the floor, Hermione already done with her half of the lavish house due to using her wand. She was surprised at how many surfaces the family had managed to cover in different shades of blue, the most common shade being turquoise - a color which Hermione would have normally loved, but right now she was sick of it.

She quickly found out that Cinderella wasn't actually the name of the blonde female, and that her given name was Ella. However, her stepmother thought it appropriate to call her Cinderella from working so hard by the cinder-covered fireplace. Hermione quickly realized she hadn't given the older girl any knowledge as to what her own name was.

"I'm Hermione, by the way." It was all she could think of saying, the reality of the situation quickly becoming clear to her, and she was in awe that she was in front one of, if not her favorite, Disney Princess. Ella just smiled at her and continued scrubbing, and Hermione couldn't help but feel like the other girl wasn't used to talking that much.

She tried to imagine what Draco was doing, He was probably being told about some irrelevant party the King had held in his lifetime, and maybe sharing some of his own stories about family parties, embellished greatly. She giggled at the thought, causing the blonde girl to look at her in confusion. Hermione waved her hand as if to say don't worry about it.

An hour later and the two were finally done with all the chores they had been assigned to do, both girls resting on the bed which lay in the attic. The ball was the next night, and Hermione knew she would need to find an owl, and fast. Luckily Ella had an affinity towards animals, and an owl was waiting outside. Hermione looked at the creature curiously, it looked far too well groomed to be wild.

The eyes held the secret to the soul, Hermione remembered her mother saying that in her first year. Curious as to why the thought popped into her mind only now she looked into the eyes of the owl. They were smart, and though Hermione knew owls to be highly intelligent creatures, she knew this owl was more than it seemed. But what could it be?

An Animagus, that was the only possible conclusion. So, Hermione waited till Ella fell asleep, wrote a note, and tied it to the leg of the owl, watching the owl fly to the ground and transform into an elderly woman, who stared up at the attic, sending a wink to Hermione. As the woman walked away, Hermione smiled and stumbled towards her small pile of blankets in the corner, falling into a peaceful sleep. Her job was nearly done.

When she woke Ella was already up and gone, thus Hermione quickly set out to find her, looking at the grandfather clock which stood elegantly by a little while table holding a lovely turquoise vase. She was surprised to see that the day was already halfway over, the time being a short while after noon. She finally found Ella near the garden, staring longingly at her sisters who got to go to the ball, which, Hermione realized, was in just a few hours.

Ella had shown Hermione a dress the mice had made her once her stepmother was nearly ready to leave, Hermione already knew how it would end, but still nodded in approval. She waited patiently in the garden placed out back, watching Ella run out to a bench and flail herself onto it, letting out a sob.

Soon, however, she was being rushed off to the ball, in a beautiful turquoise dress, necklace, and beautiful glass slippers. Hermione had opted to stay hidden where she was, going back inside to clean the rest of the house so that the rest of the family wouldn't grow suspicious.

Ella returned home at midnight, a bright smile on her pale face, even though she was back in her rags, which seemed to be the only items of clothing she possessed. Hermione smiled back, quietly leading the older girl up to the attic and awaiting the sound of Ella's stepmother's return. She wondered vaguely how it had gone, and if Draco had succeeded in his part of the task.

He must have, thought Hermione two days later, as the Prince was heard to be scouring the village in a carriage, Draco seeming to be there with him. Hermione watched him point out the turquoise house she currently resided in. Smiling, she left her spot on the roof, moving quickly through the house to find Ella. She looked on in horror, trying to remember the movie she had loved; where had Ella been?

Her room! Hermione rushed there, muttering the spell under her breath, allowing Ella to run free, listening to her call out to be able to try on the glass slipper. Hermione looked on and found Draco, who was smiling at the scene before him. The man with the monocle motioned another, shorter man, to come towards him with the slipper.

The man ran, causing Draco to wince when he was tripped, the slipper breaking into tiny shards all over the floor. "That horrible woman!" Draco's face flooded with a mixture of anger an exasperation.

"Now you know how I feel about you." Hermione had a smirk on her face, the small jab she had just made filling her with pride.

"Just shut up Granger." He moved to go forwards, Hermione stopping him, giving a reassuring smile, the best she could anyway, as Ella pulled out her own slipper, the match to the set.

It fit perfectly, as it was designed to. Hermione and Draco shared a smile, Ella hugging and thanking Hermione for helping her, and wrapping Draco in a soft, awkward sort of embrace. She rushed off into the carriage, leaving Draco and Hermione to walk away, smiling at a job well done. Hermione held out her hand in a fist, Draco looking at it with slight humor in his eyes.

"You want to fist bump, don't you?" He asked, causing Hermione to nod her head enthusiastically. He let out a sigh, connecting his fist with hers. Suddenly there were some lights swirling around the pair, leaving them watching in slight awe as they got transported back into the classroom.

It seemed as if no time had passed at all, although most other students who had been in the room were gone. Hermione could only presume they were all stuck in the same sort of situation, only Harry was back, seemingly friendly with a Slytherin girl who had been his partner. He looked over towards Hermione, seeing her and the blonde's hands, fists still connected.

Both quickly jumped away from each other, causing Harry to let out a small chuckle.

"So what did you get?" Harry had asked, Hermione letting out a small laugh, soon uncontrollable, and Draco had long since joined in, finding the hilarity of the situation unbearable, which had, of course, left Harry just staring in high confusion.

"Cinderella," said a breathless Hermione, wiping a stray tear from her eye. Draco asked Harry and his partner what they went to, the girl snorting into her book.

"Snow White." Hermione nodded at the answer, Draco just staring in utter confusion. Suddenly there was a loud pop and Ron surfaced, followed by Seamus Finnigan, both boys lying on the ground, laughing and crying at the same time as they saw the faces of the other students. The curious gaze given asking the question, _what did you get?_

They answered at the same time, relief of being back evident in both their voices.

"Mulan."


	10. A Mother's Intuition

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 2086

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [Pairing] Draco/Theo

* * *

Throughout her entire life spent with her son, Narcissa felt like he had always told the truth. He was always honest with her, as he should be - after all, she _was_ his mother. However, sometime around his fourth year at Hogwarts, she noticed something different about him. He seemed more skittish, his eyes could never seem to meet hers, and he was always thinking about something, off in his own mind for hours on end.

This began to worry Narcissa, she didn't know what was going on with her son, but she intended to find out. He had been honest with her at the start; she had sat him down and was having tea with him, deciding that the best time to talk about what was on his mind. They were in the lavish garden, located just out back of their enormous manor.

"Is it something going on in school?" He had nodded his head at this, taking a small sip of his tea, before putting it back on the table and looking back at his mother. His response, though not verbal, worried her even furthur. What could be happening with him that he was so obsessed about, that he seemed almost _worried_ for.

"Is it your classmates?" His eyes had avoided hers, wandering around their vast garden instead, resting on the little fountain in the corner.

"Yes." His answer was short, blunt, and cold, though Narcissa didn't know why. He had been warm with her up until that point. She studied his face for a while, allowing a soft silence to envelope the two of them. She decided to let it be - he was probably fine, her unease would go away - or so she tried to assure herself.

She thought that Draco wouldn't lie to her. And so, she wandered the house, deciding to go and sit in his old room, the one he had used as a baby. She smiled softly, remembering her now older son when he was only a newborn, when he had relied on her fully. Of course, he had been arrogant as a baby. Whenever she would arrange playdates with other pure blooded families he would always steal from the other children, a sense of entitlement having already spawned.

But she had still loved him all the same; he was _hers_ , and nothing would change that. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride when, as he started to grow, he would go to her with his problems, go to her seeking help and answers. She smiled sadly, standing up from the little bench that sat in his old room. Times were different now, it would do her some good to remember that.

But then Christmas came, and he was back, a scowl set firmly on his face. He had stormed into his room, and he passed her without even a acknowledgement. She had gone over to her husband, questioning what on earth had happened. He had simply waved her worries off, telling her it couldn't be anything that important. But Narcissa didn't believe him, not one bit.

It was at the expensive Christmas party she threw that she noticed. What he had left unsaid was more significant than she had thought. She had invited all the pureblood families she knew, and they had all been sat around the dining table, eating dinner, when the Nott family had spoken up. It was the father who spoke, looking to Lucius with a curious gaze.

"Have you thought of anyone for Draco to marry?" Narcissa snapped her gaze to her son, whose eyes were widened in surprise. He was looking at something, or someone, worry in his gaze. Though when Narcissa looked, she couldn't find out who it had been, as Draco was looking back down at his plate moments later.

"I've actually found someone." Draco's words had caused surprise and happiness from most around the table, including a smirk from Theodore Nott, which could have come off as rude. Narcissa didn't like that one bit, she had been told that the two boys didn't quite get along in school, even though the two families were close, and both had been placed in Slytherin. Narcissa, however, didn't quite believe the two hated each other, she couldn't explain it, she just _did_.

"Who is she?" That had been Yaxley, looking with something akin to surprise on his features. Draco didn't respond, only letting a smirk slip onto his face, as he stared at the young Nott, seeming to ignore the person who had asked him the question in the first place.

"Is she Slytherin?" Narcissa had finally spoken up, looking at her son with compassion, and love. Understanding lacing her words, as she tried to give him an easier question to answer.

"They are in Slytherin, Mother." Draco had replied, looking anywhere but at his mother, instead looking towards his plate again. Narcissa knew he was leaving something out, she could finally see it now. She had tuned out the rest of the conversation, trying to think of how she could find out exactly who this person was, and deciding that this is what Draco had been so wrapped up in.

* * *

You see, she wasn't wrong. This was what had been consuming his thoughts, but it wasn't just a girl, or the prospect of marriage that had been on his mind. It had been his secret lover, the person who had confessed to him in their third year, and who he had grown strong feelings for.

Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott had been dating in secret for a whole year, although to the school they seemed like enemies. Fighting each other at every decision, and every time they saw each other they would shoot a scowl, taunt, or glare in the other's direction.

They had fooled the whole school, even most of the teachers, although that part wasn't too hard. All that the two had needed to do was cause havoc and trouble by mock fighting with the other person, Draco had come up with the idea, putting it into action one morning in Transfiguration, blowing up the cup Theo was trying to transform, causing retaliation by the other.

The two had laughed about it later, down by the lake, inside a hollow tree, which was their usual hangout spot. But Draco was worried, he had grown very fond of Theodore, and the same was true for Theodore, who had, in turn, grown even more in love with Draco.

But they knew their parents wouldn't take the news happily. Draco was fairly sure his father would stick him into any other relationship as soon as was possible if he revealed the truth. So the two kept it secret, leaving things out when asked about it, Draco in the garden with his mum, Theo when he was making invitations to a New Years Party.

They had deceived the whole world, or so it felt like that to them. But it was tiring, and those close to the two didn't fail to notice the dark circles under their eyes, or the half smiles that were given. Even Hermione Granger noticed, although that was mainly due to the lack of insults she had been receiving - not that she was complaining in the slightest.

And then that Christmas dinner. Draco didn't know what had gotten into him, he had just panicked, his mind going blank, the questions that were directed towards him were suffocating, not so much the ones spoken, more so the ones left unsaid; the questions he just _knew_ would come later.

And Theo had tried to divert their attention, making it seem like he was being rude, as to get the pressure off of Draco. It didn't quite work out, as only Draco's mother had bothered to give him her attention. Her gaze had held suspicion, and Theo had panicked for a quick second because what if she knew?

Draco had been grateful that Theo was trying to help him, but he didn't want that to mean his parents hating the Nott. But then again, maybe it would be for the best. If the Malfoys thought the young Nott boy was trouble, maybe they wouldn't suspect anything.

But the guilt the two felt was indescribable, it clawed at their insides, making them nauseous. And the two knew that they would have to tell someone sooner than later; if they didn't it would tear them apart. Theo was sweating at the New Years party, he didn't want to tell his parents, not yet at least. They had camped out in Draco's room, talking over who would tell their parents first.

So Draco had opted to tell his parents first, causing Theo to give him little kisses all over his face. This had caused the blond to break out in little fits of laughter, both quieting down as they heard Narcissa walk by, talking to what seemed to be Mrs. Yaxley. Theo gave Draco a look, one that said, _tell her. Now's your chance._

Draco peeked his head outside the door startling his mother and her companion. But his mother, always the calm one of the family, just gave him a smile.

"Do you need anything Draco?"

It had been easier than expected, though Draco should've guessed, his mother was a very inquisitive and caring person.

"Yes, I need to talk with you. It's about the marriage, whom I've chosen." His mother's eyes had lit up, allowing herself to be dragged into the room. She saw Theo in the room, looking down at his hands, an awkward smile plastered onto his face.

* * *

And it all clicked. They had been fooling the entire pureblood community, making them all think the two were enemies. Even going so far as to deceive the entirety of Hogwarts, covering their tracks expertly. And Narcissa realized she had known the entire time, sure she hadn't quite been certain. But now she knew, the evidence was unmissable, and she had asked herself how she had brushed it off all this time.

In the garden, he had been looking at the fountain he and the Nott boy had spent so much time near, loving to toss Galleons and Sickles into it, making childish wishes, and laughing. And the tea he had chosen, it had been the tea Theodore would always drink. And, though some might find it odd, he had a different aura around him.

She was relieved, to be honest, relieved that it wasn't anything horrible. Glad that Draco wasn't facing any trouble at school. And she felt a twinge of guilt settle in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't make herself seem like an open minded person. Draco hadn't wanted to tell her, he had felt like he needed to deceive everyone.

"It's Theodore, Mother."

She had smiled at the two, embracing both in a hug, telling herself to never let go. Telling herself that she would make sure Lucius accepted the two. And she swore that, if it came to it, she would let Theodore stay with them, she didn't know how the Nott family would feel about Theodore. But she knew, when the time came, she would be there to help. So she let herself relax, let a calm slip over the room, uttering two simple words, that shocked the recipients.

"I know."

* * *

Yes, Narcissa Malfoy had known for a long time before her son had told her. Some had called her crazy, other's telling her she was just being paranoid. Even her husband hadn't believed her, so she had to use her own resources. Her own cunning and resourcefulness, all the traits that had gotten her put into the house of her family, Slytherin.

She didn't realize she had known until shortly before being told. But the puzzle pieces were always there, in her mind, laying idly by and just waiting for her to try and put them together. Waiting for her to finally solve the mystery. There had always been the one piece missing, but as she walked into that room, she had found it, and finally the puzzle was completed. Finished at last.

Sure, some didn't believe her when she told them she'd known all along. Most thought it impossible, though those who did were either male, or didn't have children. Most mothers would know, it was a little thing they all had, something they all shared. Because there was a little secret behind her knowledge, something mysterious, some might call it...

 _ **A Mother's Intuition.**_


	11. Let Hell Descend

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 2303

Category: Bonus [Disney Originals] (Descendants)

Prompt(s): [Speech] "How is it possible to hate you this much?"

 **Written as a stand in for Year 3.**

* * *

This was an outrage. Why in Merlin's name did _he_ have to come along? Draco Malfoy was currently in a mysterious world called Auradon, a detention he was having to serve in his fifth year, due to the horrid woman, who had the nerve to call herself a teacher.

Draco would have been completely fine with the situation, if he wasn't stuck here with the person he loathed most in the retched school. Yes, that's right, he was attempting to help a group of villains, stuck on a isle that reeked to high heavens, and trying desperately not to rip his companions head from his shoulders.

He was stuck with Harry Potter. At the very least, he figured it couldn't get any worse than this, the two sitting in an awkward silence, waiting with three famous villains for their children to get back home. The two were pretending to be new to the isle of villains, or as the current residents liked to call it, _The Isle of the Lost._

Draco had to admit, it had a nice ring to it, an air of mystery surrounding the name. Harry was obviously very uncomfortable, even though the two boys had agreed to put their past behind them, there was still some tension remaining. Both boys were not fully able to let go of their hatred for the other.

After around five minutes of silence the two heard it, the obnoxious laughter and loud voices nearing the room, sounding only slightly older than the pair themselves. The children burst into the room, followed by the leader of the group, Maleficent, and her daughter Mal. Draco had tried hard not to snort at the introduction they had been given, the children not seeming all that bad, or worthy of the term villain.

Although, a blue haired girl, by the name of Evie, who just so happened to be the daughter of the evil queen, was getting on Draco's nerves. She reminded him of Pansy, the girl whom he so despised, who was so very in love with him, seemingly impossible to escape. And just when he had thought this detention would free him of her attitude, there Evie was, practically her reincarnation.

Jay, the son of Jafar, had tried to rob him and Harry, though when finding they only had sticks on them, tossed them back. The sticks weren't any old sticks, they were wands, of course, and Draco was glad Maleficent hadn't seen them, knowing she would take them for her own gain.

After an hour the car arrived, the car that would take the six to Auradon, to a castle which had been made into a school. This had caused Harry and Draco to share a short smile, before realizing to whom they were giving the kind gesture and stopping immediately. They had sat in silence, Draco and Harry both grimacing at the greed the teens in front of them possessed. Watching as they devoured the candy that soon littered the entire back seat of the limo.

Draco looked at a piece of muggle candy curiously, surely it couldn't be as good as the variety of magical candy he was used to. He picked the piece up and popped it into his mouth, rolling his eyes as Harry's surprised face. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as the candy he was used to.

Finally, they had arrived, Draco wishing he could apparate already, as to have avoided being stuck in the back of a stuffy limo for hours on end. Harry hadn't been that bad, he was quiet, which was surprising to the blond Slytherin. He could have sworn the other boy would be loud and obnoxious like those who had been seated in front of them.

They were greeted warmly, which Draco smiled sadly at, he knew that those on the light side would not be so forgiving. Knowing of the fate that would be in his future, but he pushed it away, out of his mind, allowing his thoughts to get back on track, focusing his mind onto something less depressing.

He had to find a wand and manage to grab it, the object was a portkey and would transport them back to the real world, or more so the world they belonged in. He decided to try and split up, though that would be hard as the two boys were sharing a dorm with each other. Although that could also help them, Draco thought idly, as they would have more time to plan the best course of action.

The two were lead to their room, by one of the children of the seven dwarves, and they were surprised at the color scheme the bedroom took on. It was dark, the walls a deep gray color, reminding Draco of his room back in Slytherin, and the windows were large, letting in a massive amount of light, which was sure to remind the Potter of his room in Gryffindor tower.

The beds had blue blankets, which both boys had to wrinkle their noses at, the pastel color something you would decorate a baby's room with, not something for teen boys to have as bedsheets. It would have to do, however, as the two were in a rush to figure out a plan. As they conversed they realized how much they had in common, their personalities extraordinarily similar to each others.

They figured out a course of action quickly, both deciding to hang out with one of the boys in the group. Draco picked Jay, and Harry picked Carlos, figuring they could weasel information out of the two easier if it was a one on one sort of setting. And that is how Draco ended up being told about cookies, and the entire plan of stealing the wand which the fairy possessed.

Draco listened carefully, making sure he made mental notes about what seemed most important. But soon the conversation took a turn, Jay boasting about his talent for stealing and bragging about the girls who swooned over him, causing Draco to become highly annoyed. This boy, if given the chance, would be sorted into Gryffindor. Draco knew this without a doubt.

He felt hate bubble up in his chest, rising to surface more and more as the boy continued to boast about his lavish life. Draco wanting to scream about what _his_ life was like, that he lived in a mansion, adored by many, but he held his tongue, knowing the situation would only become worse.

But as minutes passed Draco knew he would lose it, and as Jay was about to start up again about how Draco would never be better than him, he got closer and closer to snapping from the rude remarks thrown at him.

"I have parents, unlike you." _Lie._

"I am way more popular with the ladies." _I wish._

"My hair is way nicer than yours." _Don't flatter yourself._

"Who even has hair that blonde?" _It's what makes me superior._

Jay started laughing hysterically, Draco feeling his eye twitch in annoyance, and then he snapped, stray thoughts leaking onto his tongue, and leaving his mouth.

"How is it possible to hate you this much?" Jay stopped laughing, eyes crinkling in confusion. It was obvious he had expected shouting to ensue, had been hoping for Draco to curse at him, maybe even get violent. But as Draco sat, a calm tone to his retort, seemingly laced in confusion that wasn't really there.

Draco then got up, making it his duty to go and find Harry, which wasn't a hard task as he was lying down on his bed, way too still to be asleep. He was shaking, Draco noticed as he walked closer, though he couldn't tell why. There was a sob, muffled by the pillow, but still loud enough for Draco to hear.

"I-" _Why is he crying?_

"I failed." _Failed what?_

"He'll hate me even more now than he already did." This last sentence caught Draco off guard. Surely Harry couldn't be talking about _him_. He let out a sigh, sitting on the edge of the brunette's bed, rubbing circles awkwardly onto his companions back. He realized with sadness that he didn't hate Harry, not really.

Sure, he had been hurt, the boy denying his offer of friendship. And yes, he had mocked the other boy for years, but it was childish, and he didn't mean it. But he was scared because if his father knew he didn't retaliate, there would be hell to pay. And Draco didn't want to deal with hell, not yet at least.

Draco watched as Harry turned his head towards him, almost painstakingly slow, eyes filled with sadness, embarrassment clear on his features. Harry started with excuses, apologies, _questions._

"I didn't know you were here." _Obviously._

"I'm sorry." _I know_.

"How much did you hear?" _Too much._

Draco let out a sigh, figuring telling the truth would be the only way to build a friendship, or at least try to. His father couldn't touch him here, hell, his father didn't even need to know.

"All of it." This caused another strangled sob to fall out of Harry's mouth, the boy covering his face with his hands, trying desperately to salvage what little dignity he had left. Draco couldn't care less though, wrapping Harry into a tight embrace. It was awkward at first, but Draco knew it was what Harry needed.

After what seemed like an eternity, Harry calmed down enough to listen to Draco. Who in turn explained everything that had been going on in the past five years, the blond nearly breaking down once or twice. He could tell this surprised Harry, the act he put on, the mask he chose to wear, and how he had everyone fooled.

The two became friends as the days passed, and as days turned into weeks they focused on their mission. However, Draco couldn't help but feel butterflies in his stomach from just looking at Harry. When the two talked, Draco had to desperately cool his face down. He didn't know what this feeling was, but he had a suspicion.

After all, he couldn't be sick, he didn't have a fever, but he wanted to play it safe. He went to the hospital wing, or as the students called it, the clinic. The doctor had just given him a smile, laughing and being very helpful about the situation.

"You aren't sick," _Then what am I?_

"You seem to be in love." Draco smiled, a sad smile, but determination soon crossed his features, and as he thanked the doctor and left he felt a surge of confidence enter him. He went to Mal and Evie, asking them for advice, which both willingly gave, and as the days drew closer to the coronation, Draco grew closer to Harry. And then the day came, before the massively anticipated event, and Draco knew he had to act then and there. He had been confident until that night, but the _what ifs_ circled his mind, plaguing him.

 _What if Harry didn't feel the same?_

 _What if he laughed at Draco?_

 _What if he said no?_

He tried his best to push them away, almost certain that he hadn't misread his companions behavior. The glances Harry snuck when he thought Draco wasn't looking, the flush that creeped onto his face whenever the blond was close to him. Harry entered the room, Draco watching his pair of green eyes take in the flowers, red roses, and a box of chocolates.

Harry's face dropped, causing Draco to go into a panic. What had he done wrong, he was sure he had followed the girls advice to a point. So, whatever was wrong?

"Who are you waiting for?" _You._

"It's Evie. Isn't it." _I have to stop him._

"I should go." _No!_

"Wait!" Draco's pleading voice cut through the air, his mistake, he realized, was not telling Harry anything sooner. Harry turned around slowly, face cold, uncaring, emerald green orbs seeming to shimmer with sadness.

"Potter. I want you to be my date to the coronation." Harry's eyes widened, causing Draco to let out an awkward chuckle. Harry just nodded, surprise rendering the other speechless. It wasn't suspicious, for the most part, and if anyone asked he had a million excuses.

The day came, the event where Harry and Draco would finally be able to go home. Draco wondered faintly how much time had passed in their world, feeling bad for how worried his mother must be. The day passed in a blur, Draco barely able to concentrate on one event, as multiple happened at once. He remembered a Dragon, being momentarily frozen, then rushing over to check on Harry.

The two watched with smiles as the Fairy Godmother and the rest of the kingdom accepted the villains, even though their parents had done unspeakable things. Draco felt relieved that someone was getting accepted, knowing he wouldn't get the same reaction back at home. He felt Harry wrap his arms around him, the two boys sharing a short embrace, the last they would have in the public eye.

Minutes passed and the two had finally gotten up to the area where the wand was held. Away from prying eyes the two smiled at each other, holding onto the portkey and falling back into their own world. Draco knew that if he was ever found out to be dating his so called enemy there would be hell to pay. But something had awoken inside of Draco after the experience he had just had.

If there would be hell to pay, if hell would unleash it's demons upon him, if they would endanger him and the person he loved. Then so be it, let there be demons, let hell come.

 ** _He'd be waiting._**


	12. Full Circle

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 454

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [Speech] "Calling him/her/them my other half means that neither of us is whole."

 **AU - Draco and Harry fell in love after the war, both realizing the other was broken. Along the way they found they were more alike than they had first thought, and grew closer, ending in a relationship.**

* * *

Harry Potter didn't know what everyone was talking about. Why did they all feel the need to call their crushes their _other half_. Harry didn't get it, not one single bit. You see, he and his boyfriend had been through a lot together, and had been broken so many times, only to have the other help fix them again. For his boyfriend it had been mostly the prejudice, the publicity of the two becoming a couple.

You see, it had been a shock to the papers when they heard that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were dating, no one could figure out how it had happened. Not to mention the fact that the two had been sworn enemies in school, ending up on opposite sides of the war. But that hadn't mattered at all to Harry, all that had been important was love. And they loved each other dearly.

"Harry, did you hear me?" Harry snapped his gaze to Hermione, who had been rambling on about her significant other, who also happened to be the last member of their trio. Ronald Weasley, whom Hermione had been describing as her perfect match, her other half.

"No. Sorry Hermione, I wasn't paying attention. What did you say?" He had admitted this sheepishly, an embarrassed smile stuck on his face. Hermione let out a sigh, offering a smile before repeating her words.

"I asked how you and Draco were, you know, do you feel like the other's perfect half?" Harry let a small scowl slip onto his face as he pondered how to answer the question.

"No," he said in a firm tone, surprising Hermione, "calling him my other half means that neither of us is whole."

Hermione let out a small laugh, the firmness he possessed, something she had never expected to see from him again. The only time it had truly been etched into his tone was during the war, but that was over now. It was good that he had something to be so strong about, something he could believe in.

"I've never thought about it that way." Hermione admitted once she had regained her composure, giving Harry a warm smile and letting a peaceful calm slip over the two friends. And there they sat, sipping their tea, chatting about their lovers, and overall having a wonderful time.

The two only left when Draco came by to grab Harry, the two going off to a dinner date. The couple walked away together, leaving Hermione to apparate back to the burrow. Sounds of laughter followed the two men as they continued strolling down the street, Harry explaining his conversation with Hermione, Draco finding amusement in the little things in life.

 ** _Because things were finally simple._**


	13. Dinner Date

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 826

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Object] Sushi

 **AU - Draco and Harry are a couple. They fell in love after the war, it's kind of explained here. They also don't yet work in the ministry.**

* * *

"What do you mean you've never tried sushi?" The shout came from an apartment, curtains open, allowing those outside to see the lavish decor that furnished the place. Dark green walls with winding golden patterns and designs stretching out across them, expensive furniture decorating the hallway, in which two men were having a rather loud discussion.

One was tall, blonde, and had piercing grey eyes, eyes that seemed to stare right into your soul. The other slightly shorter, hair as black as coal, and eyes the color of emeralds, that held amusement and stifled laughter. The brunette shrugged, about to answer his companion's question.

"I never had the freedom to try it. The Dursleys didn't let me have any when they bought it, and I wasn't able to go out alone. So I guess, now, I just don't really see the point." He said it all in such a casual manner, which shocked the taller man at first. It was surprising that the brunette was able to talk about his past so easily.

"Well then Harry, I know what we're going to eat tonight. It's my turn to pick our date spot this time, after all." The blonde said this all with a smirk on his face, watching his boyfriend's green orbs light up with happiness. Soon, though, they quickly clouded with apprehension.

"Really Draco? What if I don't like sushi, though?" Draco let out a chuckle, amusement and adoration slipping onto his face as he smiled at his lover. Harry was the only person who could make him smile. With all that had happened both during and after the war, it had been difficult to pick himself up.

But Harry had helped him a lot, made him feel like himself again. Made him feel like he was _loved_. Of course he returned the favor. Harry had been an emotional mess after the war, Draco had been the only person able to calm him down. Even his friends couldn't help him the way Draco could. But Harry had changed Draco as well, the blonde was kinder now, more open minded. Although, his kindest moments were always saved for moments spent with Harry, that was when he truly felt he could show his true emotions, when he felt _safe_.

"Harry, the restaurant doesn't _just_ serve sushi, you know, it serves other foods as well. Chicken, shrimp, salmon, you name it. If you don't like the sushi you can just order something else." Harry let out a brief sigh, relief was shining in his beautiful forest green eyes.

The two apparated into an empty alley near their destination, quickly checking to make sure no one had seen them, before walking the rest of the way to the restaurant. There, they explained that they had reserved a table to the host, before being escorted to their seats. Harry looked down at the floor, something he did when he was worried, though about what Draco could only guess. Trying sushi, he presumed, as it was something new, and Harry was almost always wary of new experiences.

"What should I get?" Draco's gaze snapped up towards his boyfriend, their eyes connecting and Draco giving him a small smile. It was a rare sight, to see Draco Malfoy smiling, and even the boy himself was shocked by how many times he had smiled in the past hour.

"I don't know, whatever you'd like to." A small frown crept onto Harry's features, his brows furrowed in concentration as he scanned over the menu. Suddenly, he looked up, eyes bright and a wide grin stretching across his features.

"Why don't we share?" Draco nodded, the two going over menu options together, before finally deciding on what to get. Draco chose a sushi roll, while Harry decided on a plate of tempura vegetables and shrimp. The two started on their own meals, agreeing to switch after eating half. And they did, Harry handing his plate over at the same time Draco finished his portion.

Harry was lifting the sushi to his mouth with his hands, pieces of rice flying everywhere. He had already tried using the chopsticks, but had ended up failing miserably. Draco watched with amusement as Harry's face morphed into one of extreme confusion. Even going so far as to let a small laugh echo through their booth as Harry's face changed from confusion to amazement.

"Dis ish amashing!" Harry exclaimed through a mouth full of food.

"I'm glad you like it, we can come here more often if you'd like." Draco said, fighting back another laugh as Harry continued to devour the half plate of sushi set out in front of him. The two payed for their food, almost unable to wait for their next dinner date, wanting to see what new food they could try. It would be Harry's choice, and Draco had no clue what was in store for him. But whatever it was…..

 ** _He'd be willing to try it._**


	14. Always and Forever

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 626

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Word] Tattoo

 **Little bit of what COULD have happened after he got the tattoo.**

* * *

That damn tattoo was the root of all evil, or so he was convinced. It had ripped the last shreds of her away from him, made them just vanish, like dust scattering into the wind. He wished he could blame all of it on the tattoo, but he couldn't. He was also to blame for all of it. After all, it had been _he_ who had started all of it, _he_ who had made the first, terrible gash in their friendship. But he had always been able to fix things, always. Hadn't he?

So why couldn't this turn out the same? Why did this time have to be any different?

Maybe it was the universe trying to teach him a lesson, trying to tell him it wouldn't last forever. If you wanted something you had to work to obtain it, and then work even harder to maintain it. As much as he would love to blame all of this on his tormenter, he knew that he couldn't.

It was his own fault. It was _his_ mind that wasn't deemed the same as hers, _his_ choice in friends that had made her uncomfortable. If he had just stuck with her, if he had just ignored the group of people who had drawn him in with their power, maybe he wouldn't be here today.

He wouldn't be here lying on his bedroom floor, staring up at the tattoo that tarnished his pale forearm.

It was _his_ interesting in the dark arts that had driven her even further away from him, his tendency to meddle with things that he just _knew_ shouldn't.

It was _his_ friends who were a bad influence on him, each of them choosing to get the very same tattoo that tormented him to this very day. The tattoo that looked like a skull and a snake at the same time. It was his friends influence and use of words causing him to use one on her. _He_ had called her that word, the one he was _never_ supposed to say. It wasn't anyone else's fault but his own.

Well his, and that vile tattoo. 'The Dark Mark'. It was _him_ who had chosen to join Lord Voldemort early. He was still in Hogwarts for Merlin's sake, he hadn't even graduated. And he realized that he could never be like her, not in a million years could he ever be like her.

With her vibrant smiles that could light up a room, and eyes that practically glowed. Her compassion that was even more noticeable than the bright red hair she had, even more noticeable than her gem-like green orbs. He could never be like her; she was the girl who had been placed into Gryffindor - she had a promising future ahead of her.

She was nothing like him. He was dark, and unwelcoming. He picked friends that would make fun of her, even if he didn't mean to. But he couldn't get rid of them now, it was far too late for that. They would make his life hell, he was sure of that, and they were protecting him in a way, no one dared to cross them. He was a Slytherin through and through, and he was sure that his future without her would be dull and lifeless.

Yes, they used to be friends. But he had ruined his chances, pushed her into the arms of his tormentor, his _enemy_. His actions screaming, _take her_. _I don't need her._ But he did, oh how he needed her.

Severus Snape needed Lily Evans. She was the light, and he was the dark, and she helped him obtain balance. She _was_ his balance. And no matter what anyone said he would always need her.

 _ **Always and Forever.**_


	15. Letters and Numbers

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 2119

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [Speech] "Why are there letters? You told me math was all about numbers."

 **Filling in a bit of what MIGHT have happened in Hermione's Childhood. Not completely AU but like, strays from canon a bit.**

* * *

Hermione Jean Granger was an odd little girl. She didn't quite enjoy playing with the girls, and she didn't want to hang around with boys. She preferred to read quietly to herself, fascinated with fairy tales in particular.

She was set to start school soon, and therefore had been anxious, although only slightly. Hermione was going to be in a few grades ahead of her age, as her teachers felt she could cope with more difficult classes, and that she understood everything they would be teaching those of her age-group. Yet Hermione was still worried, worried that she would fail, or be laughed at for being the youngest in the class. Her parents had been quick to ease her worries though, telling her it would be fine, that she wouldn't have anything to worry about. She still hadn't believed them completely, and took to reading outside as a way to calm down her anxious thoughts.

It worked, as always reading helped her calm down, it was a habit she had learned from her mother who was also an avid reader. You see it wasn't just looks Hermione took from her family, she also got wisdom, and shared many habits with her parents. She loved her family dearly, and wouldn't forget them for anything in the world.

So, as she embarked on her first day of school, she thought of it as an adventure, like the heroes in the stories she held so dear; she, too, was traveling into the unknown. And she sat through her classes, ignoring the other children who would whisper to one another, far too absorbed in her new studies to be annoyed by it.

She hadn't had math yet, which had worried her the previous day. Her parents, however, just told her that it would all be ok. After all, Hermione was a very bright child, she loved everything to do with numbers and she adored solving problems, be they mathematical or not. Math was her last class of the day, and she loved it, she understood perfectly what the teacher was saying, she was the only one who knew every single answer to the questions they had been asked.

But she had to admit she had been confused at first, math was different than her father had told her, the equations a bit more complex than she would have imagined for her five year old self. So as she got home she was still a tad annoyed with the fact, feeling like her father had lied to her a little bit.

"Why are there letters? You told me math was all about numbers." This was the first thing out of her mouth as she entered the living room, causing her parents to look up in surprise and mild humor.

"Well, it is mostly all about numbers dear," her mother had replied, a smile bright on her face as she stared down at her only child. Hermione had let out an indignant huff, frustration still on her face. She didn't understand why her parents still didn't get it, was she missing something?

"Then why is there an x, y, z, and other letters on my paper?" Her parents shared a glance, wondering how to explain it to their daughter. They themselves had some confusion with that when they had first started these types of equations.

"Well you see, we use a letter to represent a number that you are trying to find. If we just put the number there then there would be nothing to do in those equations." Her mother explained, a smile on her face, eyes asking the unsaid question, _do you understand?_ Hermione thought about the explanation for a second, deeming it good enough and rushing up to her room to start on homework. She went down to dinner later on, and soon fell into a routine as the weeks passed by.

Although it was mostly a routine for the weekdays, as that was when she went to school. Get up, dressed, eat, and go to school. Then come back home, work on homework until dinner was ready, and go to bed. She would fit reading into her schedule some days, although it would vary depending on how much homework she was given, or if she already knew the material in a class for the day. Besides she still had the weekends to read all she wanted.

She still had time for friends, although she didn't have many, preferring the company of her family much more. She loved the questions her aunt would ask her whenever she came to visit, "How is school," or, "What have you learned today?" Her aunt being the closest in distance, therefore visiting often, once a week at least.

Hermione would always reply with bright smiles and peppy answers, proud of her accomplishments, and excited to learn even more. She couldn't forget how much she loved family get togethers though, Christmas especially, as she would always get questions or comments on how much she had improved, or how she had grown. Her younger cousins going to her for help or to ask questions or topics they just couldn't understand.

One Christmas in particular was one she was sure to never forget. She was ten years old and it was the first time in three years that her entire family was able to make it. Things tended to get hectic when there were more than twelve of the family there at once, and there had been thirteen of them there that cold Christmas night, packed into the Granger family home.

It seemed like pure coincidence that there were thirteen of them, just one more person than usual had attended, making the number go from even to odd. To make things better most in her family were very gullible to superstitions, so once the night was over, and the chaos had ended her Aunt had said it was because the number thirteen was unlucky.

It had started out normal, calm, almost boring at first. But then alcohol was added, and sugary foods and beverages were put into the mix, the children staying up far too late. This all caused, what Hermione liked to call, chaos in its purest form. It was hilarious to watch, as seen by some of the teenagers who couldn't stand up from laughing so hard.

It had started becoming chaos a little bit after two Aunts got into a fight with each other, soon the rest of the adults went to their aid, some helping one Aunt, some helping the other. This distraction had started the children plotting. They could have as much sugar and Christmas candy as their little hearts desired. Once the table had been emptied of anything that even resembled sweets the parents were finally calming down.

They had all calmed down, looking over to the dining room table to get some food and noticing, to their horror, that all the candy was gone. They glanced at the children, and then each other, and repeated that a few times. Terror seeping into their faces as they realized what was about to happen.

The sugar finally kicked in, presents were being thrown around carelessly, and Hermione was sure something had broken. She hadn't had any candy, and had found great amusement in the turmoil that was caused from it. She was sat in the front window, reading a book and trying to hide her laughter.

One thing led to another and a food fight had started. It had all really been a blur, so Hermione couldn't remember the _exact_ cause of it. But one thing was for sure, teams were picked, alliances formed, and chaos reigned supreme.

In the end everyone was forced to take a shower, the hot water running out long before everyone was finished, Hermione being almost last was left with a cold shower. But then the children gathered in the living room, pajamas on, hot cocoa in hand. And they laughed, watched a movie, and sat as a happy family.

Hermione was glad it had all happened, it had brought everyone closer together, and given them a story they could tell in the future. Although Hermione was sure it wouldn't become a tradition, if it did she thought her parents might go mad.

But then it went back to a routine, normal ordinary, and yet Hermione was still content. She figured that if she had her family and friends surrounding her she wouldn't really mind anything that went on. She had friends over for slumber parties, not that she could remember any of them, she was mostly caught up in her reading.

Her parents had told her that she was an introvert, even though she couldn't understand the word, but she was worried. Was that a bad thing? Her mother had quickly eased her worries, telling her it just meant how you got energy. In Hermione's case she gathered energy from time alone, and gave energy in social situations. Which she was fine with, because who doesn't need their time alone?

Days turned into months, and nothing changed. Hermione's eleventh birthday came along, and she got presents like normal, nothing was out of the ordinary. She had a party, and the year continued on as normal, celebrating each holiday. Over the years Hermione had found that Halloween was her favorite, although she didn't know why.

She figured it was the dressing up, her favorite thing to dress up as being a teacher. You could say she enjoyed the professional, looking up to those who taught her, especially her parents. And the comments she got were always fun.

"Well that's unique!"

"Oooh a teacher."

Many others would comment on her outfit choice, but Hermione was still fierce, she just found power in knowledge. She almost always had advice to give, or a quippy retort ready, and although she wasn't popular, she wasn't completely alone either.

But she started to wish some things would change, she was growing tired of her routine. She wanted something different, something exciting. A little taste of adventure that she just _knew_ she wouldn't find doing what she was currently doing.

She didn't know what it would be, but she had a feeling something would change soon. She told her parents, and they just nodded along with smiles, if their bright daughter thought something magnificent would happen soon, then they would be with her every step of the way.

Something did happen, just before her birthday to be exact, she was nearly going to turn twelve when the letter had arrived. It had bright green ink, with her name, address, and even the room she slept in right on the front. She had tried to think of it as a prank, some boys in her school had found it hilarious to call her a witch. And so she ignored it.

A day later, however, she realized it was all true. As a woman in green robes with her hair in a bun and a stern look on her face had asked if Hermione was there. Hermione had piped up, and she could have swore she saw the woman smirk. The woman had explained everything to Hermione and her parents, and that had been it.

This was that thing. This was the change she had been anticipating. And with that Hermione left to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To pursue a different kind of learning, and who knew what else she would find. Only time would tell.

* * *

"Mummy! Dad lied to me!" Hermione looked up at the sound of her daughter's yelling. Finding her oldest child, Rose, storming towards her waving a paper in her hand. Her husband, Ron Weasley, had followed quickly behind.

"I didn't lie, Hermione, I promise." She had met Ron during her first year in Hogwarts, and at first she hadn't liked him all that much. But the years went on, and friendships grew, and then love started to blossom. And now she had a family again, and her own child to teach.

"Oh yeah? Why are there letters? You told me math was all about numbers." Came the indignant reply of their daughter. Hermione smiled, remembering saying the same thing to her own parents when she was younger.

She let Rose put her paper down on the kitchen table, and then started explaining why there were letters in math. Hermione felt she was, in a way, sharing this moment with her parents, as she found that she was doing the same exact thing they had done with her all those years ago.

She would always be close with them, no matter how far away they were.

 _ **They were family after all.**_


	16. Like it's Forever

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 339

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [Song Prompt] Happy Ending - Mika

* * *

 _ **This is the way you left me. I'm not pretending.**_

Severus Snape stared heartbroken at the scene before him. His one love wrapping her arms around his enemy, the person he hated most in the world. She was staring lovingly at him, staring at the ignorant boy with nothing short of adoration in her eyes.

 ** _No hope, no love, no glory. No happy ending._**

It had hurt when she didn't forgive him, it stung, a lot. Burned him and clawed at his heart to tell him what he had done was _wrong_. And he knew it was wrong, deep down, he shouldn't have called her that. But he didn't want to look weak in front of his so called friends, the only protection he had from his own house. Didn't want there to be another thing he would get picked on for.

 _ **This is the way that we love, like it's forever.**_

He loved her, that much was true. He didn't think he would ever _stop_ loving her. He'd loved her since they first met, all those years ago. But she didn't love him back, it was clearer now than ever before. For all his years, he would never stop loving Lily Evans, the woman whose hair was like fire, who had eyes that shone like emeralds. Even if she didn't end up with him, even if she hated him, he would always love her.

 _ **Then live the rest of our lives...**_

She had married _him_ , James Potter, Severus' enemy. They had married, and Severus didn't even hear about it until someone told him the two had a son. His name was Harry, a name Lily had mentioned fondly in their younger years. But despite her moving on, he hadn't. Severus was _still_ alone, and most who knew him told him to let her go. To stop pining after her because she wasn't _his_ , wasn't _worthy_. She would never be his, not now, and not ever. And it would do him some good to remember that.

 **** _ **But not together.**_


	17. In the Grey

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 1022

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Colour] Grey

* * *

It seemed, to Regulus Black, that there were only two colors the world could see. Only two colors, two groups that the world divided you into. Black and white, light and dark, good and evil. His family had seemed to take after putting themselves into the Black category, which fit their name perfectly.

The Dark Lord had risen slowly, the catalyst for the start of the darkness that would soon seep into the light. His rise had been quiet, only giving away his intentions to those he deemed worthy. Those who had the purest of blood were first, this of course including Regulus' family.

He was aware of the darkness that his cousin Bellatrix would delve into, she put herself into the Black category. She stood firm in that pitch black, that dark oblivion. She was pure evil, she scared - no _terrified_ \- people. She would plunge head first into the abyss of darkness, and she relished in it. She _adored_ their leader, the bringer of darkness upon their world.

But then there was his brother, Sirius. Sirius who had basked in the white light that shone solely upon those who deserved it, who had stood up for what he believed in. His brother, who was the epitome of everything good, everything that would save their world. Sirius who would choose the light over darkness any day.

But Regulus knew he couldn't be fully invested in either. He, like Sirius, didn't agree with his parents beliefs and opinions about those of a lower blood status. But unlike Sirius, he was too scared to say anything. Too scared to stand up against what he knew was wrong. He wasn't light or dark, black or white.

But the world didn't see grey. And that thought plagued Regulus' mind because, _why couldn't they?_ Why did it have to be right or wrong, good or evil with no in between? Why couldn't there be different shades of grey for each person, a shade for how much they leaned towards one side or the other?

Not only for his sake, but for his cousin Narcissa as well, maybe even Andromeda. For him a neutral shade, not too light, not too dark. For Narcissa, a bit of a darker grey, still enough light left in her heart to make the right decision when it truly mattered. Andromeda would be a very light grey, having chosen the light side with a fierce determination.

Yet, even his darling cousin, who had married a muggleborn and was having a baby with him, couldn't be pure white. At least not like his brother was. No, she had been a part of the darkness too long. So long that when she had finally escaped, it had left her tainted. The darkness not wanting to fully let go of those who used to reside there. 

Every day Regulus' parents would pressure him to join them in the black oblivion that was the dark side. Sirius wasn't there anymore. Regulus was alone now, no one else in his home shared his beliefs anymore. He was stuck in the grey and he wanted to stay there until it was all over.

But he knew that the world would not be able to see grey, not in a war at least. He knew that's what this would come to, a battle like no one had ever seen. Everyone would know of this battle, no one would be able to forget the tragedy it would bring upon the world. In war there were only two sides, good and bad. There was no time or energy for a middle ground, for those who didn't want to pick a cause to fight for.

So Regulus gave in to the pressure, his grey becoming just a little bit darker as the days passed by. Just a little bit darker as the First War moved further along, weeks turning into months. And he knew that his grey would turn black if he didn't turn around, stop this evil and do something that would save the world.

So, as his grey became the lightest it had ever been, he signed a note. Riddled it with mystery, hid it in a safe place. Outsmarted the Dark Lord. Leaving a clue so that one day, Voldemort would face his match as a mortal being. Regulus knew he would die, but it was for a good cause, or so he assured himself. One thing was for certain though. It was the most heroic death their family name would ever know.

He wouldn't tell anyone about his plan though, he _couldn't_ or it would all be in vain. He knew they would spin his death as cowardly. That's what he had been known for when he was younger, being a coward. The world would think he had gotten cold feet, had delved too deep and wanted to back out now that it was getting more and more dangerous.

But the truth, something only he knew, was far more heroic. He was taking down a Horcrux, or attempting to at least, and his death would end up saving the world. Hopefully at least. Who knew how long it would take for the war to be over, who knew if there would be just a single battle. All Regulus knew was this would help _someone_. That was all that mattered.

Now, however, he was being dragged to his death. He was fading fast, images of his younger self flashing before his eyes. His life whizzing through his mind as death quickly approached him. Regulus' last thoughts before he died were hopeful, that the war would be over soon, and his brother would be on the winning side. That was all he could ask for.

Then he was passing on to the afterlife, and it was there he would wait. He would wait for years to explain all of this to his brother, he would apologize for his choices. But most importantly he would explain his life in the grey. He could only hope Sirius would understand. And who knows, what if the unexpected happened?

 _ **What if Sirius would forgive him?**_


	18. The White Star of The Black Family

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 3151

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [Colour] White

* * *

Sirius had always hated Christmas as a child. Before he turned thirteen it had been Hell going back to see his family. It was always a white Christmas, the snow softly falling to the ground and leaving the promise of snowball fights and little white angels to be imprinted upon the ground. He and his brother were forbidden from going out into the snow to play, however, as their parents said that it wasn't befitting a family of their status.

Even when Sirius left home to go live with his best friend's family, he couldn't bring himself to love a classic white Christmas. He couldn't immerse himself in something that had always seemed too good to be true. But Christmas was important, which Sirius realized as the years went on. Adults and children alike relied on the holiday as a symbol of hope, and certainly a distraction. He understood that need to hold onto something, _anything_ , that resembled good.

As he grew older, he seemed to understand more and more, although some of these realizations came earlier than others. When he was fourteen he understood that something terrible was happening, and that he would have to pick a side. Later in his fourth year, it turned out that there would be a war, though his teachers tried to soften the harsh reality that came along with the word.

They would opt to cover up this fact at all, trying to shield the students from the reality that a war was brewing. They might have feared that this reality would be too much for some of the younger students. Yet, Sirius could see the teachers' perspectives and reasoning. They were trying to not scare the students, trying to teach them enough that they would be prepared, yet still trying to make everything seem _normal_.

In Sirius' fifth year, at the young age of fifteen, he realized that nothing would ever be normal again. Two of his own cousins had joined the Dark Side earlier in the school year. They both got the Dark Mark branded onto their arms, they both tarnished their purity. Sirius saw, he understood the corruption that had possessed his family, and he feared it. Not for himself, no - he had already gotten out, already escaped. Sirius was worried about his younger brother, because he knew that Regulus would become corrupt, despite sharing Sirius' own views and beliefs.

The thought of his brother losing himself to Voldemort pained Sirius, because Regulus wasn't brave like him, and Regulus was afraid. But Sirius didn't have to be afraid; he had friends to protect him, who would stand with him despite any choices he might make in life.

He understood that Regulus didn't have that support, and he knew that would be his younger brother's downfall. All that surrounded the youngest Black was family, a corrupt and evil family who would only go on to poison his mind. Sirius realized this, and he let Regulus go. He knew that if he held on to Regulus he would only be disappointed when his younger brother turned to the dark instead of the light.

He wished, deep down, that Regulus was different. Sirius loved Regulus, more than he cared to admit, and he couldn't bear to see his brother fall into that darkness. Regulus didn't have anything to hold onto though, no ledge that would keep him from falling into the black abyss of evil.

Hogwarts wasn't the same, as the months moved by, the students were nervous, scared. Sirius could very well understand why. Fear was starting to grow and blossom in Hogwarts, and that thought alone was nerve wracking. The Dark Lord was gathering followers, young and old, no one knew who was on which side. That caused fights to break out, and friendships to be ruined.

When Sirius was sixteen he finally understood that war was upon them, he felt the fear and anxiety growing in those around him. Terror clung to his classmates like a miasma, even his fellow Gryffindors. This scared Sirius because Gryffindors were supposed to be brave, they were supposed to have the most courage of any house, yet they cowered at the prospect of the Dark Lord.

Voldemort, Sirius realized, was going to tear Hogwarts limb from limb. He was trying to get into the heads of the entire Wizarding World, make them fear him. Sirius understood his logic. If everyone feared you, who would stand in your way? It would be an almost effortless rise to power.

So Sirius would be the first student to push his fear to the side and stand up for what he believed in. For everything pure and good, for the slowly fading light in their world. The white in their world that was being stained with a pitch black darkness. And he knew three people that would quickly follow him, his friends.

He understood now more than ever how lucky he was to have friends like James, Remus, and Peter. Friends who would follow him to the death, who would help him, back him up every step of the way. Who would be his sword and shield in battle, friends who were loyal. That was more than Sirius could say for his brother. Regulus' friends would run away if things got tough, abandon ship if the boat even started to shake.

Sirius tried to push his brother out of his mind, his blood family wasn't important. They were dead to him, and he shouldn't care about them anymore. But he still worried for his little brother, it was a habit that Sirius just couldn't shake off. He understood he would never stop thinking about his brother, but he also realized that Regulus couldn't be at the forefront of all of his thoughts.

In Sirius' last year at Hogwarts, he realized he would soon be tossed into a cruel and unforgiving world, when summer came. He would no longer have the safety of the castle and those who resided there, he would no longer have Dumbledore's protection against anything evil that might come his way. Sirius and his friends would have to fight in the real world, and that was a scary thought.

The year moved on and Sirius noticed the apprehension radiating off of the other seventh years in waves. Everyone was on guard now, even the first years understood that something was different, something wasn't _right_. The professors tried to tell Sirius and the other seventh years that their N.E.W.T. exams were more important than anything else out in the real world. It seemed like their way of discreetly preparing them for the outside world, the spells they were learning were more complex, defensive charms were being practiced in every single lesson.

But Sirius saw through this now, he was older and more mature, and he understood that they too were scared. He saw the shift of his teacher's eyes, the suspicion hidden deep in the depths of their frantic eyes. Sirius couldn't miss the shaking in their voices, or the fearful words that seemed to get caught in their throats. Nevertheless, he still made it to graduation without anything massive happening. He still managed to smile along with his friends because they had made it through _something_ in their lives. Another part of their lives completed and they were now supposed to move on to other, greater things, or so Sirius knew was expected of them. The months passed quickly after graduation and Christmas was fast approaching.

This Christmas was going to be different from all his others, that was something Sirius knew very well. But what Sirius hadn't even thought about was how drastic these differences would actually be.

His first Christmas after graduation wasn't a perfectly white one like they had been all his life. Instead of white, the festive holiday was stained red, like paint splattering against a canvas. That Christmas was filled with the deaths of hundreds, with muggles and wizards dropping like flies. The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters had taken the opportunity to strike and leave a major impact.

The Marauders, Sirius included, had joined The Order of the Phoenix. Something Albus Dumbledore had created in order to combat the darkness that was threatening to put out all the light. They had already done so much for the light side, and Dumbledore was giving them a reward, of sorts. He and his friends were offered separate apartments, which they all happily took. Sirius understood their need to be apart having lived with each other since they were eleven, it was understandable that they would need a break.

He sat alone in his new apartment, and even though he knew James and Lily were just a couple of doors down, he still felt empty. A few days later he finally understood what it meant to truly worry, the fear closing up his throat and not allowing him to speak. Sirius was worried for his best friend, who had just gotten married, it wasn't the marriage that worried him. Not fully anyway, it was more the publicity that the two would get, a Pureblood marrying a Muggleborn in these war stricken days was uncommon.

But everyone else was able to keep their masks of happiness on, so he would try to do the same, try to pretend that he could just forget the war and death and chaos that raged on. Weeks passed by after the wedding, and the Potters announced that they were having a baby, a little bit of hope in an otherwise dark world. James had gone to Sirius only a few days later, asking him to be their Secret Keeper, and Sirius gladly agreed. The reason behind this was because a prophecy had just been told, a prophecy that put the Potter family in grave danger.

A month later and he understood suspicion, he had never really had the time when he was in school, and then it wouldn't be this level of suspicion. Back in Hogwarts it would have been a 'who pranked Filch' sort of suspicion but now that things were heating up and becoming more frantic, Sirius' mind was working overtime. Rumors were spreading throughout The Order, whispers that there was a traitor in their midst catching on like wildfire. It was Remus, he was almost certain that his friend was the traitor. Remus had long periods where he was absent, where he didn't tell them what he was doing or where he was going. Sirius wasn't the only one who thought this as well, others in the order had the same suspicion, though for more prejudiced reasons.

It was almost a year later when Sirius understood desperation. He was at the Potter home, begging and pleading for James to change their Secret Keeper from him to Peter. Because no one would suspect Peter, the quietest of them all, to be given such valuable information. Warning signals flared through Sirius' mind all during the night, an awful feeling in his gut making it impossible for him to get any sleep.

The Longbottoms had been attacked, or so the news was, at eleven o'clock the next night. All because of some wretched prophecy. Sirius was in fear of what might happen to his best friend, all he could do was try to soothe his worried mind by telling himself the same thing over and over again. James would be safe. They had taken all the necessary precautions, nothing could possibly go wrong. Yet even still, it couldn't hurt to check on Peter. Sirius felt like it was his duty to make sure everything would be fine. Maybe then he would be able to get some sleep at night.

 _He isn't home_. That was the thought that raced through Sirius' frantic mind as he searched the Pettigrew house. But there were no signs of struggle, so how could Peter be gone? He knew what was going on, how dangerous it would be if any of Voldemort's followers found him. They had agreed he would stay at home, and Sirius couldn't understand why he'd put himself at risk, at the expense of Lily, James and Harry's safety. He had to find Peter, make sure nothing had gone wrong.

But he also had to see his godson one last time. So he hopped onto his motorbike and sped to the Godric's Hollow, tears blurring his vision as he tried not to think of the horrors that would surely await him when he arrived. He hated the thought that he would never get to see his best friend again, never get to hear the barking laugh belonging to James, the laugh that was always there whenever someone told a joke. Never again would he get to hear the witty remarks that were classic to hear from James Potter, and that was a heart wrenching thought.

When he got there he saw Hagrid, walking out of the demolished house, the rooms flooded with darkness. He could see James' dead body through the front door which looked straight into the living room, part of James anyway, the rest of him was blocked by Hagrid who was carrying little baby Harry in his arms.

This young boy was the last thing left of his best friend, and Sirius would be damned if he let Hagrid take the boy away without a fight. Hagrid said it would be best for Harry if he was raised away from magic, it would cause less problems. Still, Sirius couldn't help but argue with Hagrid. He should be the one to get possession of little Harry, not Petunia. It was his fault his best friend was dead, so it was only right that he raise the little Potter boy right, with fond memories of his parents.

But then Sirius was told that it was on Dumbledore's orders, and he couldn't disobey Dumbledore. He was filled with anger and left with a feeling of immense grief at the groundskeeper's confusion, at the questions that spilled out towards him. This was all his own fault, why had he ever trusted Peter?

"What about you? How will you get home?"

"I won't be needing this anymore," Sirius said, glancing at the motorbike that had once been his most prized possession. He had a dangerous glint in his eyes, having to hold back an angry scream as Hagrid disappeared into the night with little Harry Potter. At least Harry would be safe, even if he would be living with Lily's awful sister, he would be safe. Harry's safety was of the utmost concern and was all that mattered to Sirius in that moment and all the moments after it. Even if he wanted to care for Harry on his own, even if he didn't want Petunia to raise that precious little child.

Sirius waited until Hagrid was fully out of sight before tracking down Peter and apparating right in front of Peter, who just so happened to be standing in a crowded muggle street. Sirius understood anger now, understood the feeling of betrayal, as he stared at Peter who was shouting lies for the entire street to hear.

"How could you betray your best friend? How could you betray James and Lily?"

He felt so much anger and hate towards the man standing in front of him it was unbearable, how dare Peter act like Sirius was the traitor? How dare he not feel a shred of remorse for the death of someone who had protected him all throughout Hogwarts. Sirius could see the muggles stopping to pay attention, confusion and slight hesitation evident on the faces of most. It was almost as if they _knew_ something big was going to happen.

Sirius slipped his wand out of his back pocket, a list of spells running through his mind. The civilians surrounding them had confusion painting their faces, after all, why would these two grown men need sticks to fight? He studied Peter, looking for anywhere weak, any place that he could strike quickly and efficiently. Sirius' opponent was calm, there was even a sense of glee hidden in Peter's eyes, this only went on to further enrage the man with curly black hair because _how dare he?_

Sirius let out a growl, letting his eyes narrow, fixing Peter with a sharp glare. His stance and his facial expression screaming _danger_ , he knew he would be able to beat Pettigrew in a duel, Peter never was the best at spells. Mothers were shielding their children in the crowd that had formed, those who were smart rushed on by as to not be a part of any danger that might appear.

Peter stood with a smirk on his face as Sirius raised his wand to shoot a curse. Time seemed to move in slow motion, and Sirius could vividly remember everything that happened. Peter kept his smirk as he cut off his own finger, the faces of bystanders were that of slight disgust at the sight in front of them. Then Peter blew cast a spell and blew up the entire street, causing Sirius to be the last one standing, watching the horror on the muggles' faces as they laid on the ground injured and some dead.

Peter, meanwhile, was long gone. He had shifted into his animagus form and scampered off into the sewers. Sirius burst into deranged laughter as Ministry officials arrived, and he kept mumbling how it was all his own fault. It was, in a way, Sirius' fault. He was the person who had begged the Potter family to switch their secret keeper at the last minute, now everyone had suffered the consequences.

All that mattered to Sirius as he got hauled into the Ministry was that Harry would be safe and sound. As he got declared guilty all that raced through his mind was how everything might have been different if he hadn't second guessed himself. He was then sentenced to spend the rest of his miserable life rotting away in one of the many cells that were located in Azkaban. Stuck with dementors trying to suck all his feelings of positivity away from him, trying to drive him insane and make him lose his mind. Whichever came first. He would never see another Christmas with friends, something he missed now more than ever, nor would he get to play in the pure white snow that would fall at that time of year.

It was in this cell that Sirius came to his last major understanding, he finally understood what the world was truly like. His friends were gone, James dead, Peter a traitor, and Remus in hiding. The Order wouldn't help him, even with the friends and allies he had made there, they would certainly see Sirius as a traitor. And now…

 ** _He finally understood what it meant to be completely and hopelessly alone._**


	19. Pondering on Thoughts

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 209

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [Character] Professor Charity Burbage

* * *

To Charity Burbage, Hermione Granger was a godsend. This bushy-haired girl was different from most of the students she taught. She was Muggle-born, Charity knew that much, but she didn't take this class for the same reasons as other Muggle-born students did.

Others took this class because it was easy, and because they wouldn't have to focus much in the class to understand the materials. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed genuinely interested in the course work she was given and always paid close attention.

Charity was relieved, to say the least, that Hermione wasn't a pureblood. The few purebloods who ventured to take this class either wouldn't know a thing and would need constant help, or would be there simply to make fun of Muggles. Charity was, admittedly, quite tired of not being able to move further than one concept a day.

Yet, she still loved teaching Muggle Studies. Sure, most of her students didn't grasp the material or were taking the class due to its ease, but there were always those few students who actually enjoyed her teachings, like Hermione Granger. So Charity would make sure to teach as much as she could, for however long she could.

 **** ** _She would teach until death knocked at her door._**


	20. The Doll Room

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 631

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [First Line] As a child, he'd been told dolls were for girls.

* * *

As a child, he'd been told dolls were for girls. He didn't understand why, they seemed perfectly fun to play with, so why couldn't _he_ play with them as well? Now that he was older, he didn't understand why his mother had snuck him dolls to play with, even though his father said they were for girls. He just couldn't wrap his head around it.

He supposed his mother wasn't like the other pureblooded women in their town, even if she was a Malfoy. Draco could remember his mother telling him it was okay to like playing with dolls, that her cousin had played with dolls as well when he was younger. Young Draco had brushed it off, and had been oblivious to the sad smile his mother wore as she watched him play happily.

He was older now, and he could faintly remember seeing that same sad smile every time she would play dolls with him. Draco had asked his mother on multiple occasions why she was sad in those moments. To his disappointment she would always change the subject, telling him he just wouldn't understand, that it was far too late now.

You see, Narcissa Malfoy had seen the joy and childish wonder on her son's face when he was little. When he first asked for a pair of dolls in Diagon Alley, his eyes were bright and his face had lit up.

"Dolls are for girls, Draco, boys play quidditch and learn how to duel." Narcissa didn't quite like the tone in which her husband had spoken; it made it seem like girls couldn't do much, like they were made to be dainty and obedient. The next day she had bought Draco the dolls and returned home before Lucius even knew she was gone.

Narcissa sat with sad smiles on her face when Draco played with those dolls because she _knew_ this peaceful child would grow up and change into something terrible. He wouldn't have the same innocence in him as those moments when he played happily, making the two dolls friends with each other. He was young, naive, childish and kind. Draco was a lovely child, playing with dolls wouldn't change that.

Draco reminded her of herself when she was younger. She had loved to sit and play dolls with her younger cousin, Regulus, she too had been naive in thinking that the world wasn't a bad place. She had let herself be shaped into what society wanted her to be, and she watched as the same happened with her own son.

But he was older now, he had already been shaped into something he didn't want to be, so it was too late for him to understand. Draco had changed so much from when he was just a little boy, but with his efforts to help rebuild their community after the war, he wouldn't bother taking the time to see it.

Besides, she was busy rebuilding the manor, rebuilding something that would resemble familiarity. Although she was sure Draco thought he was, he wasn't the only one who remembered about the dolls he used to play with; they had still been in the same abandoned bedroom he had left them in. Even if they had been destroyed, she still managed to find an exact replica in a muggle shop. The memories that room kept were warm, the dolls a good reminder of the peaceful times the Malfoy Manor had experienced in the past. The room and everything in it would serve as a constant reminder of the good in their past, to help them create a better future. After all, Narcissa thought with a smile, if she was rebuilding the manor to be familiar to her and to Draco…

 _ **Then she couldn't forget the doll room.**_


	21. Batman in Glasses

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 536

Category: Short

Prompt(s): We all have (superhero) inside us, I just needed to find mine.

* * *

We all have Superman inside us, I just needed to find mine. Well, that's what my teachers kept saying. To be honest, I didn't really believe them. Sure, if I was Superman, maybe Dudley wouldn't keep picking on me. Or at least pick on me less often. I told Aunt Petunia what my teachers said once but she just laughed for a while.

Maybe I was more like his alter ego, Clark Kent. My teachers called me smart, and I wear glasses, but I guess that's where the similarities ended. I recall when the teacher first told me I just needed to find the Superman in me, I had been awfully confused. I vividly remember going back home that night and asking Uncle Vernon who Superman was. He wasn't really paying attention to who was speaking, which meant I got a straight answer for once.

Superman was a comic book character. Dudley had a few old comics that he stored in my closet. When I first found them, I had immediately sorted them into piles. The Superman comics had a pile, so did Wonder Woman, The Flash, and even Green Lantern. I'd read through the entire pile of Superman comics in one night, finding I really didn't have too much in common with him.

I preferred the thought of being Batman much more than I did the idea of being Superman. I found him relatable. He didn't have any notable powers, just his smarts. His parents had also died, though his were murdered while mine died in a car crash, or so Aunt Petunia says. Sometimes I wonder if I could ever fight evil like Batman, though I brush the thought away every time it pops into my head. For the most part, I'm a normal kid. Nothing too exciting will ever happen to me, and I've accepted that. It doesn't hurt to dream though. I can even imagine the headlines.

 _Masked Hero saves citizens of Surrey!_

I told Dudley once that I would one day be just like Bruce Wayne. He laughed along with his friends, telling me that if I wasn't able to stop him from picking on me, then how would I ever fight crime? I think he knows I've read some of his comics; he'd be blind not to realize it. I went from knowing nothing about comics, to suddenly being able to name all of the members of the Justice League and what their individual powers were.

I was disappointed when I had finished the last of the comics that were stored in my closet - Dudley had some comics missing from the piles. One or two here and there that just weren't anywhere to be found. There were a couple of comics missing from series, there was only a single Batman comic that was missing, though. Maybe if I'm good Uncle Vernon will get it for me.

Sometimes I think nothing will ever change, that I'll always get picked on. I feel like I'll never be a hero, I'll always just be weak little Harry Potter. The boy with no parents, the boy with glasses. But hey, my eleventh birthday is coming up, and who knows...

 **** _ **Maybe something big will happen.**_


	22. Power isn't Everything

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 2330

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [Prompt] A solar flare messes with the flow of magic.

 **It's a little bit AU. Some things are different than in canon.**

* * *

I'm walking through the hallways in Hogwarts towards the Charms classroom for my next lesson. I see Lily in the halls, walking by with a bright smile on her face, happily chatting to a fellow third year about who knows what. Suddenly an odd feeling washes over me, like cold water has been poured from above, though I'm still completely dry.

I look around at the other students in the halls, wondering if they felt the same feeling that I did. Confused expressions paint the faces of most of my classmates. It seems that they too have experienced the same sensation. I brush it off, however, running to catch up with Lily, who's still walking on like nothing happened. Maybe whatever it was didn't affect her.

"Lily! Wait up!"

She turns around quickly, her vibrant red hair splaying out behind her as she turns. She smiles as soon as her green eyes land on me, waiting patiently in the middle of the hallway for me to catch up with her. Once we're side by side we start walking again, this time together. I debate whether or not to ask Lily if she had felt the odd sensation, though decide against it. If she hasn't it'll only go on to worry her and she doesn't need that.

"What class do you have next?" I ask, so she takes her time table out of her bag, her eyes moving quickly across the pages and searching for the information she needs to answer my question.

"Charms. What about you, Sev?" she says after a minute, shoving the sheet of paper back into her bag.

"Charms as well," I reply, a smile slipping onto my face. I'll be in Lily's company for a little while longer. We make small talk on our way, entering the classroom and sitting down on desks right next to each other. It seems that we're the first to arrive, besides the professor of course. I listen to Lily go on and on about her family life, how her mother and father were, and she was reciting an anecdote about her sister when a loud bout of laughter cut her off.

"Lily-Pad!" James Potter shouts obnoxiously across the classroom, his band of followers cheering him on. Lily's face drops in a matter of seconds, mumbling sentences under her breath as she glares down at the desk in front of her. It seems, to me, that Lily is trying to see if she can burn a hole through the desk in the time it takes for class to start. She's unsuccessful.

"Today, class, we'll be practising our Cheering Charms and the Freezing Spell. Wands out everyone!" The professor instructs, thankfully silencing the so-called 'Marauders' and starting the lesson. I watch Lily take her wand out of her satchel, mine already out on the desk in front of me. We go over how to say the incantations, the wand gestures we are to use, and then we have to try and cast the spell. Lily and I have practised these spells before, and we found it relatively easy. The first time I achieved the freezing spell was in the third week of my second year.

If I cast it back then, surely I'll be able to perform the spell without a problem. I wave my wand, muttering the incantation and waiting for the water that lies in a glass on my table to turn into ice. Nothing happens.

I look next to me to see Lily's cup of water frozen solid and each of the Marauders' glass is the same. Although, a lot of other students seem to be having the same trouble I've been having. I practise a Lumos charm which ends up working perfectly. I try for the cheering charm, yet I can't manage to cast it. I spend half an hour trying over and over, yet end up failing miserably each time. _What's wrong with my magic? Could it have something to do with that feeling earlier? Maybe if I try agai-_

"Come on Sev, class is over." Lily's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I nod, quickly packing all my supplies into my bag and standing up. I wave goodbye to Lily as I head off towards my next class, Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Again, I don't have the same power as before. Over and over, each class I attend I can't perform the same level of magic that I used to be able to. The power of my magic has decreased, and I have a sinking suspicion that it has something to do with that odd feeling from earlier.

Even though I'm not as powerful as Lily and the Marauders, I still seem to be doing better than most of my classmates. Lucius Malfoy, for example, can't even perform the simplest of spells. It is extremely difficult, when I enter the Common Room right before dinner, to hold back laughter. Most of my house can't even perform the levitation charm, and even the seventh years have trouble with it.

I leave the Common Room after five minutes, not wanting to be questioned about the power of my magic. If I had stayed it could have happened, so I leave before anything can happen. I make my way silently through the corridors of Hogwarts, moving towards the Great Hall for dinner. I'm not all that hungry, but maybe the professors had found something out about the odd happenings to do with our magic.

I sit down at the Slytherin table, stealing a glance at Lily who is chatting happily with a group of Gryffindor girls, her close friends. I remember her telling me about them - Marlene McKinnon, Mary MacDonald, and another girl Alice, though I can't place her last name. None of them seem to be acting any different, although many of the Gryffindors that surround them have glum looks on their faces.

"I have an announcement!" It seems like every head in the Great Hall snaps up towards Dumbledore when he speaks. It's probably the most normal thing that's happened all day. Hope fills the faces of the students around me and everyone seems to be thinking the same thing. _Will he explain what's going on?_

"It seems that a solar flare happened earlier today and, for some reason, it's messed with the flow of magic. The power of your magic, to be more specific. This happens once every century, and, thankfully, there are records of these previous occurrences. With this information, we have figured out what affects your magic..." He trails off, adding to the suspense.

 _"The power of your magic depends on your friends."_

With that, he bids us all goodnight, leaving us all to think on his words as we head towards our Common Rooms. His explanation was vague, a little confusing to be honest. _Friends_ _._ Our power relies on our friendships.

I try to work everything out as I lay in bed at night. If it relies on our friendships then the only thing I'll have to figure out is what part of friendships decides the power we get. It couldn't be the amount of friends we have, I wouldn't be as powerful as I am if that was the case. Lucius Malfoy would be far more powerful if that was the case.

Maybe it has to do with how many friends you have inside your house, though even then I wouldn't have as much power as I have now. Bellatrix Black would have a lot more power than she has now, which is, at the moment, none. I feel slight pity towards my housemates, most of them don't have any magic. Those who do can only perform the simplest spells.

Blood status would just be ridiculous, because, if it were true, Lily wouldn't have hardly as much power as she does. I wouldn't have as much power as I have, even if it is a small amount. Purebloods would have infinite power which, at least in my house, is _not_ the case.

The most plausible solution I can come up with is that it depends on the strength of your friendships. Hence why Lily didn't seem affected, neither did her friends. They have a real friendship, they care for each other like friends should. My power decreased because I don't have _that_ strong of a connection with Lily, even if I do love her to the moon and back.

It would also explain why the Marauders seem even more powerful than they originally were. They have a strong bond, stronger than anything I had ever witnessed before coming to Hogwarts. A bond so strong that I don't think anything could break it, not even war. They are a group that would kill for each other, I'm sure of it. Though it does, admittedly, scare me. The amount of power they have paired with the fact that they constantly bully me isn't necessarily a good thing.

The room is lit, I look at the clock near the wall and see the time. _7:00AM_. I'm slightly shocked, I spent so long trying to figure out what affected the power of our magic that I didn't sleep. Lily won't be happy with that fact, though maybe the fact that I've found what part of friendships Dumbledore meant will counter that. I just hope others have come to the same conclusion.

They haven't. On my way to breakfast I'm stopped by three people who want to become my 'friends', the desperation is written all over their faces. I brush by them, wanting to eat and get out of the Great Hall as soon as possible. It's chaos, however, as I enter the Great Hall. It seems every house is trying to offer their so called friendship, trying to gain more power by having more friends. I can't help but be afraid because I know one thing. This won't end well.

The days pass on, and people come up to me asking for my friendship, when I decline all they do is give me cold stares. Bellatrix has gained some power, though not much. She's practically forced a group of Ravenclaws to be her friends. Of all the _friends_ that she's gained, most are there because they're scared of what she'll do to them if they don't accept. I can see why, even without her magic she's powerful, dangerous, _terrifying_.

Some people, like me, are fine with how the power of their magic is. They seem to be getting on fine without their previous level. Some seem even more powerful without their magic. A girl in Slytherin, Lucinda, is an example of this. She acts the same way, holds the same power and authority when she walks through the halls, even though she can't perform a single spell.

Most students, however, are slowly corrupting themselves in their mad hunt for power. Students who previously were calm and quiet, are now loud and outgoing. Their eyes all seem to have this mad glint in them, all seem to have a great ambition, and all have only one thing on their mind. Obtaining more power, making more 'friends' like this is some sort of competition.

It's terrifying to watch, seeing people I used to spend time with corrupt themselves on this mad hunt, this search, for something they won't obtain with the methods that they're using. They've shut off their hearts, switched their minds into auto-pilot. Those who were formerly friends now torn apart because each wants to have more power than the other. I just hope it all ends soon.

The teachers are lost on what to do, the chaos and havoc something they don't seem to be able to handle. Students aren't paying attention to lessons anymore, too focused on getting more power, or as they tell others, making new friends. Deceit fills the walls of the castle, spreads like wildfire. Underneath that deceit, is envy.

The Marauders are the most talked about, they have more power than anyone else in the school. They haven't corrupted themselves with this hunt for strength, not like the other students have. Deep down, I think that my peers are jealous of the friendship the four boys share. The fact that they don't care about gaining any more power than they already have. They're content, and those that surround them just want to feel the same.

The weeks go by, and everything dies down. Most have stopped trying to gain power, choosing instead to stick with what they've got already. I've seen some people get more confident in what power they already have, Frank Longbottom for one, who's walking around like he's the happiest man alive.

It seems like no time has gone by, even though it's been a month since this whole situation started. The time's flown, everyone so caught up in the chaos that we didn't notice time passing by. Power really does corrupt people, I now know that to be true. But the corruption has faded, in most that is, and they've not been as desperate as before. People are more relaxed now, calmer, almost normal again.

I walk the halls to the Charms classroom, sitting next to Lily like I always do. The class is halfway through when I feel a warm sensation flood through me. Immediately I pick up my wand and mutter the freezing spell, testing out if my magic has truly been restored to its previous power. The spell works, thankfully, and I feel highly relieved that this is all finally over.

I learned a lesson, in this past month. True friendships are everything, real friends that will stick with you is what gives you true power. Because they'll support you throughout everything, back you up no matter what. The real friendships you make are the most important, the ones that will last lifetimes. That's what I've learned from all of this.

 _ **I can only hope everyone else learned the same.**_


	23. Hide and Go Ninja

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 268

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [Speech] "You're like… a likeable mini ninja."

* * *

Draco Malfoy and his son, Scorpius, were playing 'Hide and Seek' inside their manor. Much to Draco's surprise, his son was surprisingly good at hiding. And so, Draco was the one seeking. Though he didn't quite grasp the concept of staying hidden, Scorpius was taking a different approach.

The 'hide for a minute and then go sneak up on the seeker' approach, to be more specific. Young Scorpius was currently creeping up behind his father, who was in the living room looking under the table. He jumped at Draco, who had no idea his son was even in the same room.

"Boo!" Draco nearly fell over due to the sheer surprise of his son's attack, if he could even call it that.

"I'm a ninja!" Draco laughed at his son's statement, wondering how on earth the young child even knew what a ninja was.

"You're like… a likeable mini ninja." Scorpius cheered at that, a bright smile on his face, giggles slipping out of his mouth and filling the large dining room.

* * *

Astoria watched from the doorway with a smile on her face. She was glad the two got along well, that they were able to share moments like these. They would need each other in the future, that was for sure. Astoria knew she didn't have as much time left to live, a curse in her blood was making her frail. So she was happy that the two got along, that _they_ were happy with _each other._

 _ **Perhaps most of all, she was happy that when she left this world, she wouldn't be leaving Draco all alone.**_


	24. A Shattered Illusion

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 597

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Object] Broken Wine Glass

* * *

It was always there, in the back of his mind. Whenever something bad happened, or he lost his temper, his thoughts always brought him back to that single image of a broken wine glass. It had been his mother's favorite, one she had smashed in anger, believing herself to be alone in the house. In that moment, she had broken the illusion that she was perfect and would never become angry.

Draco's mother rarely became upset, so when she did he knew it was for a good reason. She wasn't the kind to be infuriated about a chipped plate, or Draco getting bad grades. She wasn't easily upset by small things like a store not having the dress she wanted.

She was different from other purebloods.

The other women in their society would blindly follow their husbands' every word, would get upset at the littlest of things. Not Narcissa though, she was calm, patient, but would stand up for things she believed in.

The night she had broken her wine glass was a night Draco remembered vividly. His mother had been hosting a dinner party, and it had gone smoothly for the most part. But then the topic changed, and her family was brought up. Her sisters, Bellatrix, who was in Azkaban, and Andromeda, who had been disowned. It was a topic Narcissa didn't like talking about, Draco knew that. She had tried steering the conversation away from that, but all through the night all that was talked about was the misfortune of her family.

She had gotten angry, which was rare for Draco to see. He had watched as his mother rushed out of the dining room and into another room in the mansion. Draco followed her, but was frozen at the doorway as his mother picked up her favorite wine glass and smashed it onto the floor. She then stormed out of the room, not even noticing a stunned Draco standing in silence. He didn't think his mother was aware of her surroundings when she had smashed the wine glass.

But in that moment something had truly been wrong. Something truly upsetting had happened and Narcissa acted out upon her anger. She had shown that even she, a highly respected pureblood, wasn't perfect. That moment had proven to Draco that they didn't have everything, even if his father told him they did.

That moment had been one Draco learned from. Learned that nothing is perfect, nothing is what it seems. There was an illusion that they were living in, a false reality that they were trying to keep up. One Draco had believed for so long. But that night was when the illusion was shattered, was when he realized his life wasn't perfect. His mother, the one person in his family he thought was truly perfect, wouldn't get angry, upset, or bothered by anything, had proved him wrong.

"Draco?" He jumped, the voice snapping him out of his thoughts. His mother stood in the doorway, a bottle of wine in one hand and a pair of wine glasses in the other.

"Yes mother?" She took that as her cue to walk further into his sitting room. She set the glasses down onto the table and poured a little bit of wine into both.

"I thought we could catch up a little bit. We haven't talked much since the war ended." He nodded, taking a glass and bringing it to his lips. Spending time with his mother wasn't the worst thing he could be doing right now, besides…

 _ **It wasn't like had anything better to do.**_


	25. He's lucky alright

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 537

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [First Line] The fact that he was lucky, was aggravating for (character from your house).

* * *

The fact that he was lucky, was aggravating for Cho Chang. He was charismatic, friendly, and kind; everyone loved him. He had an abundance of friends and almost everyone liked him. Even the teachers were overly fond of him - well, except for Severus Snape. But Snape didn't give special treatment to anyone but Slytherin students.

The fact that he was lucky just added to the perfection that was Cedric Diggory. It was extremely vexing that the Hufflepuff boy was also extremely good at Quidditch - his luck in the game was astounding. The bludgers would veer just a little bit past him, as if not wanting to ruin his roguish features. He would almost always catch the snitch; it was like it didn't want to escape him. If he was a keeper, she was sure no goals would be scored, and if he was a chaser she was sure that the ball would simply fall into his hands.

He was still a seeker though, and that made it worse because it meant he was the same position as Cho, meaning she had to play against him, had to try and catch the snitch before he did. She had only ever succeeded on one occasion, and that was when he had been sick. With his good fortune, she hadn't even expected sickness to effect the boy. She might have even gone as far as to say even death might let him of the hook. She knew, however, death didn't play by mortal rules, it would take and take no matter how lucky someone happened to be.

His talents, however, didn't end at Quidditch. Cedric was also amazing at his studies, almost the top of his class. His teachers had endless amounts of praise to give his work, to give him. He grasped the concepts spectacularly, was even kind enough to tutor other students in classes they might struggle with.

Cho had often wondered how he had so much time to focus on everything, school, friends, _and_ Quidditch. It was astonishing. He was in a bunch of clubs, extra activities. He was seen everywhere. Well, almost everywhere, he was lucky enough to have escaped detentions. She had a feeling he wouldn't ever be found in a detention, with his luck it was almost impossible.

She had spent so much time evaluating him that her friends called her obsessed, some going as far as to say she had a crush on the boy. She, admittedly, found him quite attractive, and could picture herself going out with him, not that she would tell anyone. She couldn't tell anyone.

She had, on multiple occasions, vehemently denied all claims of her having a crush on the Hufflepuff seeker, after all, she hadn't met him. Cho had decided she wouldn't admit to having any feelings towards someone unless she had met them. Things would stay the same, him keeping his distance, and her observing from afar. If they didn't meet, nothing would happen, nothing would even have the tiniest chance of happening.

"Hi, I've seen you around before and wanted to say hello." Her gaze snapped up to the smooth voice. _Speak of the goddamn devil._

"I'm Cedric by the way, Cedric Diggory."

 _ **Oh boy.**_


	26. Love Isn't Dangerous

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 3845

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [Word] Dangerous

It's a modern day AU, also muggle AU. Just letting y'all know.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was dangerous, that's what the press had been saying. He was an ex-felon, just released from prison after a two-year sentence. Rumor was that Draco had been involved in gang activity, though it wasn't ever confirmed. The media had been reporting so many different accusations and charges to explain why he was in prison, that there was no way of knowing _exactly_ what he had been charged with without digging through the legal documents.

Harry Potter didn't believe any of it, but then again, he didn't really ever trust the press. He was a successful businessman, running one of the top protection agencies in the world. He didn't know how to protect anyone himself, he mostly did paperwork, he actually didn't know how he had even managed to become CEO, but nonetheless he was. Being a member of the upper class, he had his own fair share of bad press stories and received plenty of backlash from them. Harry had ignored them, as most had been rumors and false accusations that held no weight _because_ they weren't true.

Frustrated, he threw his copy of _The Prophet_ into the trash. There, for the fifth day in a row, was a picture of Draco on the front piece: _Dangerous Felon Walking The Streets._ This had interested Harry, _what made the press think Draco was such a bad person_ _?_ Besides a tattoo, he looked practically harmless. Sure, he had been seen in an area where dangerous gangs usually resided, but that didn't mean he took part in anything worth a two year sentence. Most weren't sure what he was convicted for, and Harry as well was intrigued. Was there more to story than the papers published?

He decided to look up Draco's history online and was surprised at what he found. Draco had been brought up in a middle class family, took Karate lessons - was a black belt even. His mother had died when he was young, and his father had a busy work schedule, or so it seemed. The more he read, the more an idea formed in his head. What if he offered Draco a job at his agency? He needed some new employees, crime rates were rising in the city, and the upper class were worried about their safety. They went to him for protection: bodyguards, house guards, security, etc. Why not give it a try?

An hour later, Harry was sitting in a small cafe near his home, waiting for the Malfoy man to show up. He had been thinking through his idea more and more, realizing that most of his clients might not actually want a recently released felon protecting them. Once he'd mulled it over, Harry realized that he still needed protection for himself. Some group had tried breaking into one of his client's houses and had found out Harry's men were guarding the property the hard way, and he had a target on his back now. It wouldn't hurt to have extra protection. He would just have to tell the blond man that the position had changed and it was now an offer to be Harry's own personal bodyguard.

"Hi, uhm, pardon? I'm Draco Malfoy." Harry's head snapped up towards the blond standing across from him, he'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't even heard Draco walk in. Looking the man over, Harry could tell that he was nervous from his posture and facial expression. Then again, who wouldn't be nervous in Draco's position? Being interviewed for a job after two years spent in prison, with hundreds of articles coming out painting him in a bad light - he had every right to be nervous.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

"I gathered as much." Harry laughed at this, realizing that he had already put his name in the email he had sent. Introductions seemed to not be needed, but it was just a force of habit. Harry had been taught to be polite and charming with every person he met from a young age, his parents being famous movie stars caused him to be in the spotlight since birth, the press wanting to see everything he did. It seemed he was even more of a big deal now, having not chosen to follow in his parent's footsteps and become an actor. He had strayed and that was interesting.

Harry gestured for Draco to sit down, which he quickly did. Harry started out by asking some questions.

"Where are you from?" Harry had only asked this question because he was curious. The information he found on Draco never said anything about where the man had grown up.

"Manhattan." Draco had answered quickly and with a shortness in his tone, though he seemed proud of where he had grown up. The questions quickly became more personal, not that either of them really minded. Questions soon turned into conversation, and they were quickly chatting as if they had known each other forever.

Harry looked at the clock on the wall and was surprised at how long they had been sitting in the cafe. Two hours, Harry couldn't believe, had been spent talking about relatively nothing. They had just gotten to know each other and Harry noticed that he had enjoyed the company. He had enjoyed listening to Draco go on and on about things that fascinated him, it was a change from his normal work day. But a good change. As soon as Harry returned home, he called Draco again.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Harry."

"When do I start?"

"Tomorrow." Harry heard a pause on the other end of the line and a barely audible ' _obviously_ _'_ in the background, chuckling to himself before Draco returned to the phone.

"What time should I get there?"

"8:00 AM, that way you can get the hang of things before the day truly starts."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

With those last words and a click of the receiver, Draco hung up the phone, leaving Harry smiling to himself, but he couldn't place why. He went off to his bedroom and laid down, staring up at the ceiling and wondering how much this would change his life before finally shutting off the lights and falling asleep.

The next morning Draco arrived right on time. Harry led him around his home, showing him how everything was set out; his office, the library, the dining room. The house seemed empty, his parents were off shooting a movie in Brazil, and they weren't set to return to the states for a good couple of months yet, which left only Harry and the staff to wander the elaborate home. Even when they did return Harry didn't think they would stay with him, they would probably stay with some rich friend or another, or go off trying to promote their newest film.

Soon enough, the work day started and Harry went off to his study, Draco following and standing outside the door. Harry wondered if he should invite the bodyguard in, they had hit it off well enough at the cafe, maybe the man would want to have company. He decided to let Draco choose on his own since Harry didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

Weeks passed and only a few small things changed. Draco started sitting inside Harry's office instead of standing outside and the two talked while Harry worked. Before that, Harry had just sat in silence doing paperwork, thinking that any noise would be too much of a distraction from his work. He found out, however, that the distraction Draco provided was just the right amount. Not too much where he wouldn't get any work done, but it provided him some much needed breaks in his day. Contrary to the cold, business-like relationship Harry had expected, he was a bit happier with Draco there.

The two were so close after a few weeks that Harry wondered if they could classify themselves as friends. The thought bugged him for some time before he finally decided to ask Draco what his thoughts were.

"Would you say that we're friends?"

Draco met Harry's gaze with a shocked expression. It was a rather blunt question, Harry realized, feeling a slight pang of guilt that he had sprung the question upon the blond without any warning.

"I'd say we act like friends."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco let out a laugh at Harry's question, causing him to develop a small smile, not that he understood why.

"Well, we've never said that we're friends, but we talk and act like friends would." Harry nodded; what the man was saying was true, they had never said outright that they were friends. But Harry _wanted_ to be friends; he was lonely, even though he tried to deny it.

"Well then - would you like to be friends?" Draco smiled at the brunette's question, Harry following suit.

"I'd like that." The two talked for the rest of the day, Harry having no other work that was in urgent need of completion, and Draco's job being to keep an eye on Harry. The black-haired man smiled as he watched Draco's eyes shining, talking about the future, about the little things he loved in the world. Watching Draco be happy made Harry happy, and that's all that mattered.

One day Draco was talking about his time in Brazil, which was interesting to Harry. Turns out that before Draco came back to New York, he had traveled all over the world. He was talking about meeting locals and drinking coconut water, about his adventures through the cities. Harry wondered vaguely, sometimes, if their relationship would ever turn into more than just friends. They had the foundation, but Harry just wasn't sure if Draco would want to take their relationship any further than it currently was.

Harry hoped dearly that Draco would want to become more than friends, though he knew that even if he did it would take time. So he would wait and leave it up to Draco for now. Some might tell Harry that because the blond didn't know of Harry's own feelings he wouldn't act on them. They were probably right, but Harry didn't mind waiting for now.

It was a warm summer day when the press struck again. Harry had been out with Draco, visiting the cafe in which they had met. Someone had taken a picture of the two, given it to the press, and rumors started circulating. Harry was sat in his study, reading over the news when he saw an article, the headline leaving him astounded:

 _Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Friends? Colleagues? Or something more?_

It was ridiculous; how could the press come up with that from the two getting coffee together? Sure, Harry had come out as gay in previous years, and it was common knowledge, even before his arrest, that Draco was bisexual - but that gave the press no reason to assume such things. To make it worse, Draco had been avoiding speaking to Harry as soon as he'd seen the article.

The next day, however, Harry had managed to corner Draco in the hallway.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" The other man avoided Harry's eyes, looking up sheepishly and rubbing the back of his neck.

"I didn't want to - you know - facilitate any more rumors that would be bad for you." Harry smiled in relief, Draco was trying to protect _his_ reputation.

"You wouldn't. Besides, I usually ignore the press anyway." Harry said, calmer than anyone would expect someone in his situation to be. Draco smiled at Harry, though his brows quickly furrowed in confusion.

"What'll you do about the article?" Harry thought about the other man's question for a moment and realized he didn't know.

"I'll have to think about that. But in the meantime, don't worry too much about it." Draco nodded, Harry's response enough for him, the smile returning to his face.

An hour later and Harry was lying in bed, thinking over how he would respond, if he would at all. His mind was wandering, however, and it always brought him back to Draco's smile, and his laugh, and his voice. Harry couldn't help but consider that he'd developed a crush on his companion and that this was why he wasn't sure if he would make any statements about the article at all.

He thought it over more seriously whenever he could. He loved when Draco smiled and hated it when he frowned. Harry remembered Draco's laugh because it made him happy, and it was unimaginably contagious. He was nearly positive that he had feelings for his blond bodyguard, and he could only hope his companion felt the same. He'd been waiting for Draco to make a move, but now it seemed like it would be up to Harry to make the first move.

"Look, I know it's awkward to ask, and you probably don't feel the same, but maybe we could go out - on a date, I mean," Harry asked next morning, having dwelled on his attraction to the man designated to protect him. His confidence had come full-force, suddenly, but he was afraid it would dwindle if Draco was wavered by it.

"What?"

"I just - I need to know whether what I feel is certain." Blush was creeping fast up Harry's neck and cheeks. Draco was looking away from him, hiding his face from view. Harry could discern nothing from this and it only made him more alarmed. It probably meant he didn't feel the same. "Or, we could not. Sorry. I've made things weird, haven't I?"

"No, no, I'd love to. I was just surprised is all." Draco smiled up at Harry, his cheeks flushed with and even deeper pink.

"Great! Amazing. Okay, uhm, dress casual, and meet me at the front door at five."

Draco nodded and the two walked toward Harry's office, as was per the usual. Harry smiled; he was happy to be around someone for once in his life. When he was younger, he hadn't been a social child, much preferring to be alone than to participate with other children in games and activities. He had brought that with him into adulthood, not having many friends except two close ones: Hermione Granger, a professor at Yale, and Ronald Weasley, a journalist.

Harry realized, to his slight surprise, that Draco was the first person he had gotten close to in almost ten years. There was a knock at the door to his study and he looked at the time: _5:00 PM_. His eyes widened, he couldn't remember it getting that late. He had hardly even remembered eating lunch, all he recalled was that Draco had shared his contagious laughter with Harry and the two couldn't stop laughing for nearly ten minutes.

He jumped out of his seat, looking outside the door and wondering how Draco had managed to disappear from the hallway in such a short amount of time. He started rushing down the stairs and to the front room, seeing Draco waiting patiently at the front door. Harry wondered how the blond had managed to get from his office to the front door in such a limited time frame. Lost in his thoughts he tripped on the last stair, causing Draco to snort and start laughing. Harry shot Draco a playful glare.

"It isn't funny." But Harry's comment only made Draco laugh even harder, clutching his sides. Harry smiled, chuckling a little bit.

"Okay, maybe it's a _little_ funny." The laughter finally died down and the two headed off towards a restaurant. They ordered and made small talk, Draco doing a surprising amount of flirting, leaving Harry to do a load of blushing.

By the end of the evening, Harry had made up his mind. He was completely enamored by Draco Malfoy. It was hard to tell when exactly he had started falling, but he knew for sure he had fallen hard. Draco had admitted, during their dinner, that he had a crush on Harry, and the two opted to take their relationship further. If they could manage it, they preferred to stay outside of the public eye, though they knew it was highly unlikely.

In fact, once outside the restaurant, the two were met by a bunch of reporters, which left the two a tad surprised as they had done their best to not alert anyone to their presence. No one but the driver knew, though Harry supposed civilians could have seen him. He sighed, bracing himself for the onslaught of questions that was sure to come any moment.

"So, this is the second time you've been seen together in public."

"And? He works for me." The reporter wasn't fazed by Harry's question and continued on.

"Are you two dating?" Harry looked towards Draco, who smiled at him with a slight shrug. Harry turned towards the reporter with a smile of his own, deciding he wouldn't have been able to keep it from getting out anyway.

"Yes."

Camera's started flashing, pictures being taken at lightning speed. Some stayed to try and get more information, other reporters rushed off to try and be the first to publish the story and get an article in the papers. It was times like these that Harry hated having famous parents, if his parents weren't movie stars then the paparazzi would have never be so interested in his life.

The news spread like wildfire, quick catching and hard to go away. Not that the two minded, they were filled with a newfound sense of happiness. Being together was the only thing they wanted, for the time being. They enjoyed sun-filled beach days, sat by the lake on others, simply enjoyed being alive and happy.

Months passed and Christmas was quickly approaching. Draco had been talking about having a family for months, they had even gone to an orphanage to see if they could adopt any children there. Draco had been particularly taken with a young child, around five years old. His name was Scorpius. He was well mannered, and absolutely a joy to be around, well at least to them. According to the head of the orphanage, Scorpius was dangerous, and he got into fights with most of the children. Neither man let this deter them and they started with the adoption process.

They knew, however, that it would take a while, at least a year, for them to be able to fully adopt young Scorpius. Draco was visibly a little annoyed with that fact, so Harry decided to get a Christmas present that would make Draco cheer up a little bit more.

Christmas morning came, and Harry sat in the living room with a box and hands behind his back, waiting patiently for Draco to enter. Sure enough Draco trudged into the living room, looking at Harry suspiciously.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Harry said, replying with a question.

"What's that?" Draco said, ignoring Harry's reply all together.

"A present. Obviously." Harry replied, smiling innocently up at his boyfriend. Draco rolled his eyes.

"What's in the present?"

"You'll just have to find out."

"Oh come o - wait, what's behind your back?"

"Just sit down already." Harry said, taking one arm and tugging Draco down to sit on the floor with him. Draco's gaze kept shifting uncertainly to the box. Harry nodded towards the box, as if saying _open it_. Harry watched as Draco slowly removed the lid from the present, seeing the blond's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the items inside.

"This is a collar and a dog bed. Is there a hidden message here that I don't see?" Harry took his arms out from behind his back, showing a small puppy. It was a golden retriever that was surprisingly well behaved, Harry hadn't expected it to go so long without barking.

Draco's eyes were wide in shock and Harry chuckled, handing the puppy over to him. Draco hesitantly pet the puppy and Harry smiled, at least Draco was gentle with the small animal.

"What are we naming it?"

"How about James?" Harry thought for a second on his lover's question.

"That sounds perfect. Now - let's finish unwrapping the presents." Draco nodded at Harry's words, seemingly unable to form sentences due to his shock. The two spent the rest of the day playing with the puppy, visiting friends, and plainly having an amazing Christmas.

Soon, on New Year's Eve, Harry found himself kneeling with a ring in his hand, proposing to the man he loved. Draco had just nodded his head and whispered 'yes' over and over again, hugging Harry the tightest he had ever been hugged. James barked excitedly, though the two were sure their puppy didn't really understand the moment, he was, after all, a dog. Draco and Harry shared a kiss and watched as fireworks went off in the nearby park.

Two years later and they were happily married, and about to adopt their first child. Their wedding had been simple, Harry and Draco's parents showing up, and only a couple of friends. They had it in a church, and it definitely wasn't a grand event, though the press tried to make it out to be.

Harry was in the car, driving back from the orphanage, and the couple having finally finished with the adoption process, young Scorpius was also in the backseat. He had been sitting with a black eye when Harry had gone to pick him up, according to most of the children he had been in a fight earlier that morning.

Dangerous, that's what every member of the orphanage called Scorpius. Harry didn't want to believe it, but the bruises from fighting were hard to ignore. The young blond was quiet during the entire car ride, Harry couldn't tell if it was from nerves or shame, maybe it was both.

A month had passed, and Draco had found out that Scorpius wasn't dangerous at all. Both of them having agreed that Draco might be able to understand a bit more easily, it had been him who did most of the talking when Scorpius became upset. As it turned out, it had been the other children in the orphanage whom were the true danger. The younger blond boy had only been fighting back to protect himself, and the other children involved had always blamed it on him. With no allies, Scorpius had nobody to defend him and tell the truth. Harry was relieved when his lover told him this, glad that his son wasn't the cause of any violence.

A week later when they were celebrating Scorpius' sixth birthday, Draco's father had decided to attend, though Harry's parents were off shooting yet another movie in Europe. As Scorpius blew out the candles on his cake Harry thought over the past few years. He chuckled at the fact that his family members had both been classified as dangerous by members of society at some point in time. A lot of things in this world were dangerous or a danger to people, so many things.

 _ **But Harry's family wasn't one of them.**_


	27. Blue is the color of Mischief

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 233

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [Speech] "Why are your hands blue?"

* * *

Fred and George were sneaking back into their rooms, all too aware that their mother was just downstairs in the kitchen. They had just spent a good chunk of their day in the garden; testing new products for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Their new idea was a prank candy. It tasted and looked like actual candy, but when eaten it would make your appearance change.

They had been tweaking it to perfection all day, in the oppressive heat of the sun, sweat dripping from their foreheads in a stream.

They'd had to start over once when George's sweat accidentally mixed into the candy's mixture, causing it to promptly explode in their faces. After a while, their hard work began to pay off - the sweet had the desired effect. Which was both good and absolutely terrifying.

The result was that the person eating it would have blue hands. It worked like a charm, which meant, if their mother saw them, they would be in deep trouble. She'd take one look and _know_ that they'd been causing mischief one way or another.

The twins had almost made it to the stairs when they heard footsteps behind them. They turned slowly, faces paling at the sight of their mother standing in the middle of the hallway. Maybe if they hid their hands behind their back then she wouldn't notice anything...

"Why are your hands blue?"

 _ **Or not.**_


	28. What Friends are For

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 790

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Prompt] Prove them wrong.

* * *

 _Prove them wrong._ That's what he had to keep telling himself, over and over, every day. Show the world, show your teachers, your fellow students, show them that you aren't what they make your kind out to be. He was a grade O student, and he had a way with words, but he would never make it far enough in life. Werewolves just didn't make great - well - _anythings_.

And Remus Lupin was a _Werewolf_. The world said that all werewolves were dangerous, were creatures that would haunt your nightmares, and that they couldn't ever be good people. Remus had just been a small child when he'd got bitten, and growing up to hear what the world was saying hurt. His mother had tried calming him down using the words that he eventually made his mantra.

 _"You just have to prove them wrong honey."_

She would whisper to him as he cried, shushing his wails, because he was the same boy as before - smart and kind. He was just bitten by a Werewolf, is all, and that didn't change his personality. But to many others - he _was_ different, and they didn't like that one bit. _Dangerous_ , that's what they called people like him. Remus didn't feel like he was dangerous - not that it mattered to anyone.

He vividly remembered his first year at Hogwarts, when he had boarded the train and met his friends. He was, admittedly, a tad confused when they had pulled him into their conversation. Why were they talking to _him_? A small smile had grown on his face as he realized they didn't know about his problem. He, a Werewolf, had made friends. This was his first step! Remus was already proving the world wrong, because he wasn't being a danger to those closest to him.

Of course, that was only because he wouldn't ever tell his friends why he had to leave every full moon. He'd make up excuses like sickness. His mother was ill and he had to go care for her. Remus felt guilty because they trusted him and he was lying straight to their faces. They were his friends, though he hadn't expected they would be much longer after a particular conversation in their third year had gone.

He was sat on his bed in his dorm room, Sirius, James, and Peter all around him and cross-legged on the same bed. They asked him about where he went every _full_ moon, and they emphasized the word 'full' when they had said it. Remus insisted that he'd already told them, but they wanted more details. He choked, panicked about the consequences of his lies, and gave them an answer he _knew_ didn't fit with anything he'd ever told them.

"You're a Werewolf."

Remus visibly paled at Sirius' statement, as he'd said it with a certain tone that made it clear he _knew_ it was true. It wasn't a question to him, to them, it was a _fact_.

That's why you've been disappearing, right?" James asked, adding on to Sirius' statement with a lighter tone. Remus contemplated if he should just tell them, or keep denying it for as long as he could. He looked over to Peter, to see if he would get any help from the smaller boy, he frowned when Peter didn't meet his eyes. Remus let out a shaky sigh before nodding his head, a frown drawn onto his lips

He expected them to freak out, to want to get as far away from him as possible, to call him dangerous. He was almost certain they wouldn't want to be his friends anymore. Hence he was surprised when he was knocked over by someone embracing him in a hug. Remus got a clearer look and saw that Sirius was the one hugging him. James stood with a smirk on his face.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

Remus let out a sigh, pushing the Black off of him and sitting back upright in his bed pondering how he would answer James' question. "I was worried you would... hate me."

The Potter boy snorted at Remus' answer. Sirius let out a chuckle. And Peter just smiled, awkward and friendly as ever.

"We could never hate you, Rem."

There were murmurs of agreement from Sirius, James, and even Peter. Remus let a smile slip onto his face. He had been sure that this was him proving the world wrong, making friends even though he was a Werewolf. Though, it looked like it had been his friends who had proved _him_ wrong. In the end, they would always be there for him whenever he needed them. Remus swore that day that he would be there for them too.

 ** _After all, that's what friends are for._**


	29. Finding a happily ever after

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 3472

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [Speech] "Let's find out exactly how deep your betrayal runs."

 **Warning: Muggle AU, Modern Day AU.**

* * *

It was shameful, that's what the reporters, newspapers, and even Remus' own girlfriend said, they all said what he had done was a shame, would ruin his reputation. He was a famous actor, having starred in more movies than anyone could keep count of - besides his manager, who would bring it up to anyone willing to listen - His girlfriend had been someone he'd been pushed into, told to act like he loved in order to make better connections.

The fact was, the world loved seeing them, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, as a couple. He was a kindhearted actor who loved his fans and she was a badass model who took nothing from no one. The public ate it up; they loved the thought that Remus and Nymphadora were hopelessly in love, despite both having previously stated they didn't think they would ever find a partner.

But he had cheated and the press had caught him red handed, a picture from a fan being leaked all across the internet. Blog after blog, news station after news station, each had the same headlines, the same caption, the same image. Remus had gone to the bar one night, wanting to forget the chat he had just had with his manager, feeling that the bright lights and loud music would distract him from the reality of his own life. If that didn't work then at least the alcohol would.

He wanted to forget everything, to be happy, even if it was just for a night. He wanted to forget his fame, forget his manager, forget his lie. It all started when he was four years old. Remus' mother had a friend who worked at a children's show, a casting director in urgent need of another child for the show. Remus was said to be the perfect candidate, so his mother agreed. He became known from that show, making friends as he grew up, moving on to auditioning for bigger shows, bigger things.

Remus met his manager when he was eight years old, a rather snobbish man, Abraxas Malfoy. The man was blonde, fit, had blue eyes, Remus' mother was absolutely smitten. Remus was sure his mother would have tried to pursue the man if he hadn't had a wife and a child. Abraxas was as prejudiced as they came, clearly stating his views on religion, political parties, and sexuality within a week of their meeting. Remus had been young, however, and hadn't truly known what all of that meant.

It had been multiple years later, when Remus turned sixteen, that he had finally realized what his manager had meant. Remus had figured out that Abraxas was building up his fan base and it had shocked him that it was mostly full of teenage girls, he'd never said anything on his sexualtiy, so why would everyone just assume? He'd taken his questions to the Malfoy, explaining that he didn't like girls, he liked guys, and he didn't want people to misinterpret his actions later on in life.

Abraxas had been surprisingly calm, simply telling Remus that he wasn't able to tell the world he was gay, he _couldn't_ or he'd lose all his fans, all the popularity. People would hate him, maybe even go as far as to despise him. It was a conversation Remus would always remember, he hadn't wanted to let his mother down as she was happy with the way things were. She wanted him to be popular, famous, to be a star. So he let it go, making her happy was one of the only things that mattered back then.

Thinking back on it now, with a massive hangover and sitting slumped against his kitchen table, he'd always done everything to make others happy. Remus had lied about his sexuality to keep his manager happy, had stayed working in the movie business to keep his mother happy. Whenever he had gone out and done anything, it was to make someone else happy, he'd never done something that had made him happy. Well, not until he'd gone to that bar, in those few hours he had been having the best time he'd been sure he'd ever had in his entire life.

Even after getting back to his house he was left feeling on top of the world, he'd stumbled into the living room, sitting down on the couch and smiling into nothingness for a solid five minutes. That was, until a loud buzz from his phone startled him out of his stupor. He glanced down at it, traces of a smile still on his face. He had read the message, his smile dropping and his eyebrows furrowing. There, leaked onto the internet, was a picture of him in a heated kiss with some person in the bar.

His manager had told him that it was still alright, he could just play it off. After all, no one knew who he'd been snogging in the picture. Well, Remus knew; it was a fellow actor, an openly gay one as well. Someone he wished he could be like, wished he could have just as much courage as. The two had met some time ago, both being supporting roles in a movie. They had become fast friends on set, though hadn't seen each other since the movie was released. Thinking back on it, Remus didn't know how he'd managed to forget the piercing grey eyes and the lovely black hair of his fellow actor.

Now there Remus sat, trying to ignore Abraxas as the blond tried to, yet again, get Remus to tell him who it was he'd been snogging. Their 'talk' moved onto how Remus could redeem himself in the eyes of the public. Almost all the ideas were not to his liking, however.

The first way was getting a new girlfriend and telling the world that the spark between Nymphadora and him had just gone out. The public still wouldn't trust him, they'd expect him to do the same thing, go off and cheat again in a random bar. It wouldn't end up redeeming him in the eyes of the public, it would end up sinking him even furthur.

The second was telling the world it was a mistake, he still loved the model and was just drunk, in the moment shit had happened and he was sorry for it. But that meant apologies, thousands that Remus didn't feel like faking anymore.

The last was to just ignore it, to continue on with life and try to get to set to shoot a new movie he was starring in. This road to redemption would take the longest, but at least it didn't include pretending. This was the option Remus decided to go for, hoping that it would help keep him busy, keep his mind off the press, keep his mind off everything else he had to put up with.

A week later and it turned out ignoring the whole issue was a whole lot harder than Remus had expected. Nymphadora showed up to his house, hair dyed a new color than the last time he'd seen her. It was now a fiery red, a contrast the pastel blue she had previously sported. She'd stormed through the door, her expression livid.

"You cheat on me and then have the audacity to just ignore me!" He'd cringed at the shrillness in her voice, mentally berating himself for ever giving _her_ the spare key. It was a weekend, the only viable reason as to why she was in his house at twelve in the afternoon, on weekdays she would've been modeling or preparing to walk down a runway of sorts.

She'd taken his silence as a cue to continue yelling at him, her anger prominent, though the underlying note of betrayal and hurt was ever so evident. "You went behind my back, you were shoving your tongue down another girl's throat!"

Remus felt strongly like he should correct her, he hadn't been 'shoving his tongue' down a girl's throat, it was a guy, but he wasn't sure if it would only make the situation worse. He decided he would just tell her, it would be the first step in redeeming himself to her, maybe even to the world. He opened his mouth to start explaining, though before he could she'd pulled out a computer, opening multiple web pages and turning the screen so they could both see it.

"Let's find out exactly how deep your betrayal runs." Whether she'd murmured that to herself or to him was anyone's guess, but it still left him with an immense feeling of guilt. His gaze shifted to her face, which was set in a determined scowl, and then back to the computer screen where she was scrolling through multiple news articles.

"Ah ha." Nymphadora had a triumphant look on her face as she turned the computer to fully face him, he scrunched up his eyes, leaning a bit closer, finally finding what she'd seen. It was a very small version of the image that had been dispersed across multiple outlets.

"Who is she?"

"Well, it's not really like tha-"

"Who. Is. She?" Nymphadora growled, eyes fixing him with a piercing glare. It was terrifying, to say the least. He didn't know how to respond, but he knew he had to at least say something. Panicking he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"It's not a she." He resisted the strong urge to smack himself, though couldn't stop himself from cringing as he saw the shocked expression on her face.

"So...You're bi?" she'd asked after a few seconds of silence had passed, her tone expressing her high confusion. He shook his head at her statement, her expression growing even more confused as she sat in a stunned silence.

"How long have you known?" she'd asked, her voice soft, a big contrast to her normally loud, strong, slightly obnoxious voice. To Remus it seemed like she was asking if she was the reason he didn't like girls, as if he'd dated her for a while and just decided, nope, girls aren't my thing.

"I've known since I was fifteen." Nymphadora turned towards him with a shocked yet grateful expression on her face, though there was still confusion evident.

"My manager decided it would help strengthen bond with other companies if I was dating people from there, and he doesn't want me to come out." Remus elaborated, trying to help lessen her confusion, wondering if he'd managed to redeem himself even slightly. Wondering if he seemed like less of a cheating asshole than before, or if the fact that he had complied to the Malfoy's wishes made him seem like even more of a douche.

"Do you want to? Come out that is." Remus pondered her question for a second or so, curling into himself as he replied.

"I - I don't know. I guess I'm scared." No, that was a lie. He was terrified, Remus had always been afraid of what others thought of him. He didn't want everyone who adored him to suddenly turn around and start despising his entire existence.

"Of what? I mean it's not that big of a deal."

"I don't want everyone to hate me, not everyone is accepting, what if people don't like me anymore?" He felt relieved after replying to her question. He'd told someone besides his manager, they supported him, he'd gotten his worries off of his chest. It felt amazing.

"If they don't like you just because you're gay then they don't deserve your time." Remus couldn't help but let a grin take over his features, which quickly turned into shock as the red haired model pulled him into a hug. She wasn't known for showing affection.

"Does this mean we're good now?" She pulled away and gave him a playful glare, shoving him lightly towards one end of the couch, causing him start laughing. His good mood quickly vanished, however, as he read a text message from his manager.

 _'Get to set to meet the rest of the cast'_

He groaned, resting back against the couch, causing Nymphadora to snicker. He hopped up and rushed into his car, smoothing out his hair and clothing before speeding off towards set. He'd completely forgotten about Tonks as his mind was focused on meeting the rest of the cast and getting out of there as fast as possible.

He pulled into his reserved parking spot, something he could thank Abraxas for, hopped out of his car, locked it and then proceeding to enter the building. There stood around fifteen other people, all chatting happily with each other, one actor sticking out from the crowd. It was the same person he'd worked with in another movie a couple years ago, the same man with the curly black hair and piercing grey eyes, the same exact person who Remus had been caught snogging.

"Fuck." _Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm._ Maybe, if he was lucky, the man wouldn't be in any of his scenes, though he knew it was most likely not possible. He was being forced to meet these people, they would most likely have at least one scene with Remus. His manager was in the middle of a conversation with the brunette, so maybe he could just mingle with the other cast and not have the blonde even notice him.

His luck, however, seemed to be steadily decreasing over the course of the day, as Abraxas noticed Remus. His eyes lit up and he practically dragged the other actor over towards him. Remus let out a disappointed sigh. If he just stayed calm then everything was sure to work out.

"Remus! You're finally here, good. I'd like to introduce you to your co-star, Sirius Black." Remus started choking on the water he had gotten from the refreshments table when he'd walked in. That was just perfect, he had to practice lines, go over scenes, and spend most of his time on set with Sirius. Though Sirius had tried keeping a straight face, Remus could see a slight hint of amusement behind his cool facade.

"We've met before, actually," the grey-eyed man stated, an almost smirk on his face as he stared at Remus. Abraxas' eyes flickered with confusion before quickly lighting up, most likely remembering working with him in the past. The blond chuckled and said his goodbyes, going off to talk with the rest of the cast, leaving Sirius and Remus to ' _catch up_ '.

"So, about these pictures…" Remus exhaled sharply, of course Sirius would bring that up. How he'd managed to keep his name out of the news was astounding. There was a clear resemblance between the 'girl' in the picture and Sirius, how the news hadn't even speculated was beyond Remus. Though he figured, if he was being forced to talk about the scandal he might as well ask a few questions.

"Yeah, I've got a lot of shit with that. How come you seem fine?" Sirius smirked, seeming to already have an answer.

"My manager is amazing." Remus glared at his co-star.

"That's it? You _just_ have an amazing manager?" Remus was, admittedly annoyed, not fully at Sirius, but at the fact he had to keep his sexuality secret in the first place. He was now taking this out on Sirius, and though he knew he should have felt guilty, he didn't feel that much guilt.

"Well, Lily Evans is a force of nature. If she wants something, she gets it. Her boyfriend works in the news and she had him tip off the rest of the stations that the person you were spotted with was female." Remus stood still for a second. He hadn't expected such a calm explanation. He'd been sure Sirius would've shouted, raised his voice at least. Remus opened his mouth to ask another question, though Sirius shushed him.

"It's my turn to ask some questions. You need to answer them." His words had a more serious tone to them. Remus could see these questions had been burning in the back of his mind for a while. He nodded, staying silent, a cue for Sirius to start asking.

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Well, if I remember correctly, it was _you_ who kissed _me_." Sirius let out an exasperated sigh, which Remus realized was at the fact that he didn't actually answer the question.

"Why didn't you pull away?" Remus thought over that for a second, he didn't know whether saying that he didn't want to would make the situation better or worse.

"I - I was a little drunk?" It had come out as more of a question than an answer, truth was Remus had not drunk much. He didn't actually feel tipsy until his ride home and the hours after that. Sirius seemed to know this, though Remus couldn't fathom how.

"Bullshit. You said you weren't romantically interested in anyone, you said it was fine." The hurt lacing Sirius' words was clear, and it finally made the quilt settling in Remus' stomach known.

"I wasn-" He tried to protest, though he was cut off by an annoyed Sirius.

"You had a girlfriend!" Remus let out a sigh. What he had said was true, he'd not been romantically interested in anyone, yes he'd had a girlfriend, but he didn't like her in _that_ way. He didn't quite feel like explaining it on set, so he did something rash, something maybe a little more bold than he was used to. He invited Sirius over to dinner, so he could explain _everything_.

"What the hell?" Sirius yelled. Remus rubbed his temples in frustration. It was around two hours after the introductions had ended and Remus had just gotten back to his house with Sirius, who was now shouting a string of curse words in his angered confusion. Nymphadora sat with a half smirk on her face as she watched in amusement from the couch.

Remus had expected her to go home after he'd left but it turned out she'd stayed all day, awaiting his return. Sirius was now livid and Remus had no clue how to calm him down.

"So this is him? Gotta admit, I can see why you like him." Remus' face turned almost as red as the woman's hair, though perking up slightly as Sirius' angry shouting had stopped. Nymphadora took Sirius' arm and, in a split second, was sitting on the couch with him, explaining everything, some conclusions more correct than others. By the end of the night Sirius was smiling and laughing along with Tonks and Remus. What had surprised Remus was the quick kiss he'd gotten as Sirius left the house. The giggles from Nymphadora as Remus stepped back inside would have normally bothered him, though he was far too happy to care.

The next few months passed slowly, Nymphadora mumbling about Remus' slow but steady path to redemption. Sure, he'd wanted to redeem himself to the world, but now that he'd gotten the two people he cared about most in the world, it didn't seem all that important. Though Sirius was quite persistent, telling Remus that he should try and get back up to a positive side of the public eye. So he did, over the few weeks he'd gotten to really know the Black, he'd fallen head over heels for him. He would do almost anything the man said.

Which is why, weeks later on live television, Remus announced to the world that he was gay, explained some of the scandal, and left the crowd in a stunned silence. All he could remember during the next moments were his erratic heartbeats, the nervous fidgeting he'd done in his seat. The crowd had burst into thunderous applause, though, which made Remus feel slightly better.

A week after that interview aired **,** Remus was feeling a lot better. He'd told Abraxas that he was done with him, Sirius explaining to _his_ manager about Remus' situation. It turned out that Lily Evans was a wonderful person, becoming Remus' manager as well. The situation with the public was much better as well, most accepted him, understood, and in their eyes he had redeemed himself.

Sure, there were still the select few who didn't accept that he was gay or hated him for using Nymphadora, but he was fine with that. Because he had Sirius, now his lover, and Nymphadora, his best friend and emotional support. He had other things to focus on now anyway. He had a new movie coming up, that he was trying to promote, going on interview after interview, though it died down eventually. It was quiet for the next few weeks after that, quite a contrast to the buzz and chaos of the past months. Remus smiled to himself. This was it…

 _ **This was his happily ever after.**_


	30. Learning from Mistakes

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 2254

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [First Line] Seeking shelter from the storm was the first of many mistakes that day.

* * *

Seeking shelter from the storm was the first of many mistakes that day. The second was traveling to the closest home to ask for shelter, a tall and slightly wobbly house that looked both sturdy and like it was about to collapse at any given moment. It was the home of a redheaded family, one his family didn't quite get on with, even before the war.

Yes, Draco Malfoy was seeking a shelter from a terrible storm. He would normally just apparate back to his house, but the awful weather was doing something to his magic, meaning he'd just have to wait it out. With the Weasleys, if they even let him into their home in the first place. He wouldn't be surprised if they just left him out to freeze in the downpour, after all, he'd been godawful to them in the past. So had his father, and on one shocking occasion his mother.

Yet even despite his depressing thoughts he still rapped on the door, knuckles white from the cold. Hair and clothes drenched from the rain, he was sure he looked like a mess. Draco was sure when the door opened that he would be sneered at and kicked out. Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger were standing there in the doorway gaping at him in shock, slight scowls on both of their faces.

"What do you want, _Malfoy_?" They spat his name like it was poison, sneering at him as if he didn't belong there. Which, in all fairness, he didn't.

"I can't apparate home in this storm." Draco had mumbled, his voice calm, quiet, friendly. Though he knew it was in vain, he'd tried on multiple attempts to make amends with the golden trio and most he'd wronged, all of which failed miserably. He expected the two to laugh in his face, though Hermione just stepped aside and silently let him in. Draco offered her a smile, which she seemed shocked at, though quickly set a frown on her face as she locked the door.

Draco sat in silence as the Weasley family gathered around their fireplace, along with Hermione and Draco. It was awkward, silent, scowls being sent at Draco from every direction. He'd wanted redemption for months, to redeem himself to this family. Maybe now was a good time to start. But how?

"I'm sorry." That startled the family, their gazes snapping to him in wide eyed confusion. He realized his question had been vague, terribly so.

"For everything. My family has been - _I've_ been - terrible to you all. I apologize." They just stared at him, trying to figure out if he was faking or not. If this was sincere, or if it was another cruel trick the Malfoy family had come up with. Draco let out a sigh, he'd wanted to make things right with this family, he figured the best way to start would be an apology.

He looked around at those sitting near him, George having a half-smile on his face, while Ginny sat with what seemed to be anger and distrust etched onto her features. This was going to be harder than he'd originally thought. He offered a small smile to Ron, who just scowled and looked away. Draco felt a twinge of frustration, though he brushed it off, he was trying to fix himself, he just needed to show them that.

An hour later and things had turned out both better and worse than he'd expected. For worse they'd designated pairs of people who would sit with him and watch him while the rest of the family did whatever they wanted for an hour, then pairs would switch. The good news was he'd only have to work on redeeming himself with two members of the family at a time.

The first pair set to watch him was Arthur and Hermione. Draco was, admittedly, quite confused as to why the two had been put together to watch him, he was sure it would be terribly boring for both of them to try and keep a conversation. But after the first three minutes of Hermione explaining how a telephone worked, both Draco and Arthur were thoroughly enthralled.

"So you speak through one telephone, and another telephone gets that message? Without any magic at all?" Draco had asked once Hermione had finished explaining, which had ended up leaving a confused look on the girl's face. Nevertheless she answered his question.

"Yes, no magic is used. It's how muggles communicate over long distances." Her voice wavered slightly, as if her confusion was making it difficult to talk with a steady voice. Draco turned his gaze to Arthur, just so he wouldn't have to see the suspicion on Hermione's face, just to see that the man's eyebrows were raised and he wore a look of mild surprise.

"What? It's interesting!" Draco said defensively, raising his hands in front of him. He saw the start of a grin on Arthur's face, and Hermione's lips were slightly curling upwards. He was off to a good start, and it wasn't like he was lying. He'd always found muggle items interesting, though never delved into them or how they worked because of his father.

In his family's eyes muggle items and their workings were for muggles and muggleborns to understand, those of a higher status didn't need to focus on such mundane workings. But even when he was young Draco could remember roping Theo and Blaise into finding a muggle's watch and taking it apart. They were curious, all of them wanting to see how it worked, how it was crafted, all three of them getting punished when they'd gotten caught.

Thinking back on it, the broom cupboard wasn't the best place to keep themselves hidden. Draco wondered faintly if he should share the story with the two people sitting in front of him, if they'd appreciate his honesty or believe it to be some fabricated tale woven out of trickery and deception. He decided it was better to take the risk then let conversation die out, and started telling the tale.

By the end of the hour all three of them were sitting and laughing, telling jokes and were completely at ease with each other, all past rivalries forgotten in the moments sat by the fire. New beginnings were starting for Draco, and he hoped that in time they would all grow to be friends. As Arthur and Hermione left to go and get the next pair to sit and watch Draco the gryffindor girl paused to whisper in his ear.

"I forgive you." Draco smiled towards her, a sort of thank you for her kind words, to which she returned the gesture and continued on her way. Leaving Draco to sit by the fire, alone for a few seconds, thinking over how his first hour with the family had gone. He smiled, he'd gotten along with Granger, the person he'd bullied most and had said nearly the most hateful words towards. If he could do that than the rest of the family would surely be a piece of cake to get along with.

He was proven wrong not even two minutes later as Bill and Ginny sat in silence in front of him. It wasn't the comfortable silence between friends, however, no. It was the angry sort of silence that told you that you'd done something wrong, that you were in for a rant and you mind as well just kill yourself know. What was eating away at Draco was how long it would be until the rant started. He started counting from the moment they'd sat down, he would continue counting until one of them spoke.

Five minutes and forty five seconds. That was how long it took for Ginny Weasley to start talking to him, her voice shaky with anger, eyes blazing with a fury that matched the rage on her brother's face. Her words took higher and higher volumes, soon she was shouting at him, being backed up by a few angry words from Bill every now and again. Draco decided the best course of action would be to listen to the whole thing, to not interrupt, to show he actually cared.

After it was all over Ginny was crying, they were angry tears, and he could tell she had been holding that in for a long time. So he said the only thing he could think of saying.

"I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry for everything I've said or done to you both." His head was hung, he knew guilt was evident on his face, he couldn't mask it no matter how hard he tried. Draco Malfoy was ashamed and looking for redemption, he wasn't so sure they could see that, but he hoped that, in time they would. By the end of the hour the three sat in silence, though it was less awkward, and Ginny had at least attempted to return Draco's smiles on one or two occasions.

As they left to get the next pair Ginny and Bill shook his hand, and Draco let out a relieved sort of smile. That had to count as a little bit of redemption, right? He frowned at the silence as he waited, having had enough quiet in his hour spent with Ginny and Bill. Yet, a smile was brought back to his face as he reminded himself of how they were warming up to him. How he wasn't an enemy to all of them anymore, he was showing them, slowly but surely, that he'd changed. That he wanted to do _good_ , for once in his life.

Molly and Percy walked in, Percy seeming more civilized about it all, while Molly openly glared at Draco. It seemed, to him, like Molly would be the hardest to get to warm up to him. He'd bullied most of her family, and she was protective of them, meaning she'd want to stand up for them, even if they had stood up for themselves already. Draco decided to ask a question, maybe get conversation rolling.

"So, what sort of books do you enjoy reading?" The question had been aimed more towards Percy, but Molly's face lit up and she began spouting off about Gilderoy Lockhart, and how she simply adored his books. Percy had let out a sigh as his mother went off and started rambling, neither boy had the heart to tell her that he hadn't _actually_ gone on those adventures, nor that he'd lost his memory and was currently stuck in St. Mungo's.

That hour went by quickly, Molly going as far as to hug Draco on her way to the kitchen. She muttered something about having to feed everyone in this storm as she passed, how she would be needing the time to prepare and helping hands. Which Draco offered to help, and Molly gladly accepted, however, she still made him stay and sit with Ron and Charlie. Who both happened to be the last pair.

"I see mum likes you." Draco snapped his head towards Ron, the tone in the redhead's voice wasn't harsh or cold. It seemed like he was actually trying to hold a civilized conversation. No doubt he'd seen that his family had managed to get along with Draco and wondered if he'd have the same luck. Draco smiled at the thought, he'd managed to redeem himself in most of their eyes, now he might be able to prove he wasn't that bad of a guy to the entire family. It filled his heart with happiness, the pure kind he hadn't felt in years.

"Yeah, I guess she does. Is that, Wizard Chess?" Ron looked over to where Draco was pointing, the corner holding the small worn down set, yet still usable. Ron nodded and went over to retrieve the game. Soon a friendly banter filled the room as the three wizards took turns playing against each other, more often than not leaving Ron victorious. Draco laughed as Charlie's queen got destroyed - he'd been bragging for fifteen minutes about his brilliant chess skills, though was failing miserably against Ron.

That hour had passed the quickest, leaving Ron, Draco, and Charlie laughing and talking like they'd been friends for years. This had been successful, so much so that he'd not even noticed the rain stopping. Molly poked her head into the room, looking at the sight of the three boys leaning on each other for support, Draco trying to stay up as Charlie lost for the fifth time against Ron.

"Dinner is ready, and the storm has stopped as well." Draco looked outside, noticing that it had indeed stopped. He gave a sheepish smile, apologizing for not helping with dinner.

"I'm afraid I have to get home, as Mother will be worried. I'll visit tomorrow though, if that's alright." Molly smiled, calling the rest of the family into the room to wish the blond boy goodbye. After that, Draco apparated home with a pop, seeing his mother standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"Where on earth have you been?" Draco bit back a smirk.

"Waiting out the storm with some friends of mine." His mother just scowled and ushered him into the dining room. All was well. Draco had somewhat redeemed himself to the red headed clan. He felt like he could do anything. Turns out it hadn't been a mistake to go to the Weasley's in the end, after all. Next step…

 _ **Trying to get the world to accept him.**_


	31. Buried Treasure

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 368

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [First Line] He/She/They should not have buried it in the woods.

* * *

They should not have buried it in the woods. Why they had thought it would be a good idea was beyond Remus. His three best friends, James, Sirius, and Peter, had decided to send him off on a treasure hunt of sorts. He'd quickly found the last clue, which had led him to the forest. They had told him they'd buried the treasure when he first started looking for clues, what had been left out, however, was the fact that they'd buried it in the woods. Which was, admittedly, _very_ annoying. It was late, why would they ever even think Remus would want to be outside in a forest, at night?

He was now in the middle of the forest, completely lost, very annoyed, and still no closer to finding the spot where they had hidden the treasure. He didn't know if he would get out before morning, and he felt like kicking his friends for sending him into the woods alone, it was stupid to hide treasure here anyways. This was one of the times that Remus remembered why _he_ was in charge of planning the pranks.

He shivered and sat down on a fallen tree, the cold seeping into his bones and, though he knew he was being dramatic, he wondered if he would die out there - without anyone knowing where he was, or what had happened to him. Remus heard leaves crunching, and he jumped up in fright at whatever wild animal might be out there. Though, he thought, maybe he was overreacting, maybe it was just a person.

"What is it Fang?" came the voice of Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the grounds at Hogwarts. Remus let his shoulders sag in relief, he hadn't even realized they were tensed until now. He was relieved, this meant he would get out of the forest, he would make it back to his room, his books, everything.

"Lupin?" Remus nodded his head in reply, sighing. "What're you doing out here this late?" He contemplated whether he should answer or not, he was too tired though, not really having the time nor energy to go into the full details of his adventure in the woods.

" _ **It's a long story."**_


	32. Losing My Grip in the Grey

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 623

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Prompt] Grey Eyes

* * *

Remus couldn't believe what the papers were saying, he didn't _want_ to believe it. But if that's what everyone was saying, if that's what all the facts pointed towards, didn't that mean he had to believe it? He sighed as he laid in his bed, gazing up at the ceiling. It was painted a shade of grey, one that painfully reminded him of those grey eyes. The stunning eyes of the man who'd betrayed his best friend, the man who had hated his own family's views with all his heart, the man that Remus loved more than anything in this world.

Sirius Black, the man now declared a betrayer.

It was hard for Remus to believe that his lover had betrayed him, betrayed their friends, for the views that he had adamantly dissociated himself from. The dark side which he'd absolutely despised as a child, as a young boy absolutely hating that side because his parents were fond of it.

He could remember Sirius' grey eyes shining in anger when he had ranted about his family and their misguided beliefs; complaining about how they were trying to force him to believe them too. How Sirius' beautiful grey eyes then turned to sadness as he went on in subdued tones, expressing his sorrow at the fact that his brother was already turning and becoming just like the rest of his family.

However, the hardest thing for Remus was _forgetting -_ both the past, and their plans for the future - they'd had so much ahead of them, it was still hard to believe that Sirius had just thrown it all away. He would have to forget Sirius' warm embrace and the feeling of another person in the bed with him as they both fell asleep. It would be nearly impossible to forget his grey eyes shining in adoration and love as they looked into Remus' own, or the gentle amusement they held whenever he saw Remus attempting quidditch.

How could he _not_ remember the grey eyes of his lover, the pair that he'd initially been intimidated by when he'd met Sirius Black on the train to Hogwarts all those years ago; eyes which had later gone on to fascinate him with their depth and beauty, brilliant eyes that now haunted his memories.

It was hard to think that the one person who was the center of Remus' thoughts, who had practically been his whole world, would give it all away for someone as wretched as Voldemort. Yet even so, those eyes would still go on to plague his thoughts, the eyes of one of his first friends. After all, when he'd gone to Hogwarts he'd expected to be alone, to have no friends whatsoever. But Sirius, along with James and Peter, had welcomed him in with open arms, they were a group of friends that were each unique in their own way.

Each member had something that stood out to Remus about them; James had his glasses, Peter his small stature, and Sirius' dominant feature was, of course, his mysterious eyes. Remus had never seen anything like them, the way they lit up when he was happy, or darkened when he was sad, or the way they shone with mischief whenever he was planning something.

Sirius' gorgeous grey eyes that Remus could just stare into for hours on end, stare at without a care in the world and just get lost in the sheer depths of them. The eyes he would _never_ get to see again. Sirius was locked up in Azkaban now; he was gone and Remus _would_ be better off just forgetting him.

 _ **Yet, he still had fond memories of the man, with eyes he wouldn't ever forget for as long as he lived.**_


	33. Hate Is Strong, But Love is Stronger

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 2389

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [Word] Hate

 **Modern Muggle AU.**

* * *

Hate was a word Ginny Weasley was all too familiar with, a word she'd heard over and over at the start of her freshman year in highschool. She had dealt with her fair share of icy glares and sneering faces as she passed her peers in the hallways. People had this _idea_ of her family, they seemed to believe that because she wasn't rich, she deserved all of their pent up hatred.

Ginny went to a private high school, one that was filled to the brim with rich children whose parents would spoil them rotten. In their minds, she was below them, she wasn't worthy of being in the same school they were. Yet there she was, in their classes with them, in the same school; she was slowly trying to prove that she was just as good as they were. But she was different, her style, the way she walked and talked, it was all different. Her classmates didn't like that.

She'd ignored them, though. She got in on a scholarship, which meant she'd need to keep up with all of the coursework. Ginny wasn't the only one in her family to have gotten into this school; Percy, her older brother, had also gotten into the school. This meant more pressure was put onto her with her coursework. There was no time to worry about making friends, and, in her mind, she didn't _need_ anyone.

That is, until she met Luna Lovegood. Luna was different from the other students Ginny had met; she was unique, kind, and a little bit mad. The two had met in their art class, the teacher was pairing up students to work together on a big project. Ginny hadn't been looking forward to it, getting a partner that is, she didn't want one of her stuck up peers to tell her what to work on and how to complete the assignment.

When the teacher got to Ginny she was anxious, wondering how bad the person would be, she was surprised when the teacher called out for Luna Lovegood. She'd looked around, confused as to who this person was, she'd never even heard the name before. When Ginny saw the girl - her breath was taken away.

Wavy dirty blonde hair, eyes a unique silver color, and her smile was incredible. She had this aura around her, this warmth; a love that she was willing to share. Ginny was awestruck as the girl offered her a hand to shake, offering a bright smile.

"I'm Luna, Luna Lovegood. Though, you already know that." Luna's voice was cheerful, kind, welcoming. It was a change from what Ginny was used to when dealing with her classmates, maybe change was good.

"Ginny Weasley," she had replied, her lips curling up into a smile as Luna dragged her back to their now shared desk. Each pair had gotten an emotion to portray in their paintings: Anger, fear, happiness, sadness, and many more. Ginny and Luna had been assigned 'love,' and maybe it was a sign of their future, not that either of them had understood that back then.

At first, Ginny hadn't talked much with Luna outside of their classes, but the more time she spent with the blonde girl, the more she wanted to know. Luna's company was addictive, and Ginny had eventually found herself sitting with the blonde at lunch, and talking more after classes. They had become friends in the blink of an eye, something Ginny had never thought possible. Others noticed the change - her parents, teachers, classmates - though, the one person she'd never expected to notice was her brother Ron.

She supposed it was a long time coming, she'd always spoke on and on about Luna with him, explaining who she was, what they'd done that day, almost everything - she shared it all with him. What she remembered the most was his question to her, one that she'd never considered up until that point.

"Ginny, you like her, don't you?" His voice had been calm and tentative as if he didn't want to cross any lines, didn't want her to shut him out. She, admittedly, had been confused at first. Had he not been listening to her?

"Of course I like her, otherwise, I wouldn't be friends with her." She'd answered him, done it with a big smile, a small chuckle, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He'd let out a sigh, shaking his head in exasperation. Ron had taken a deep breath before speaking again.

"No, do you _like,_ like Luna?" Ginny's smile had faded slightly, and furrowed her eyebrows in deep confusion. She had never had a crush on anyone before, so she wouldn't know what it felt like, but she'd never questioned her sexuality either. Yet, when she thought about it, she'd always thought about girls, instead of guys, the way all of her friends did. Had Ron really picked up on that before she had? She was surprised; he'd always been the least observant in the family, the last one to get a joke.

"I - I don't know." She had finally replied, her voice had been soft, quiet, as if she still wasn't sure. She fondly remembered Ron giving her a hug before heading off towards his own room, muttering something about homework. She'd normally done homework over the weekends, having nothing else to do, no friends to see since switching schools. But the following weekend she'd gotten a text from Luna.

' _Hey wanna get ice cream?_ '

Ginny had smiled at the question, short and straight to the point, yet the words still holding a sort of childish happiness to them.

' _I'd love to! Where do you want to meet?_ '

' _I'm almost at your house. Meet me outside?_ '

Her mind was running wild, wondering how on earth Luna knew where she lived. Then she had remembered that first day in art class when they'd gotten paired up, all the students had been told to share locations they could meet up to work on the project when the time came. She'd not even thought about it and just given her home address, she had taken a mental note to be more careful next time.

Ginny had rushed down the stairs, out the door, and anxiously stood on the front porch. A smile curled her lips when she spotted a familiar pair of blonde curls. Luna was skipping down the road towards her house, Ginny, knew the blonde had spotted her when the girl started waving like a madwoman. She couldn't help but let out a laugh as Luna drew nearer and nearer.

She'd walked off the porch, onto the sidewalk, Luna hooked their arms together and made them skip down to the local ice cream shop. Not that Ginny minded, it was fun, something she'd not done in a while, so she didn't complain. The two ordered and sat down with their frozen treats, Ginny got strawberry and Luna having followed suit. Luna was staring off into the distance, smiling, and it warmed Ginny's heart, though she didn't understand why.

She pondered it, as they sat eating in a comfortable silence. Maybe Ron was right, maybe she _did_ have a crush on Luna. It was clear to her that she loved Luna's bright warm personality, the way her whole face lit up when she smiled.

How could she forget that she absolutely adored the fact that Luna didn't care what people thought about her, she just focused on the positive things in life and being happy. Ginny hadn't even noticed she'd finished her ice cream until Luna let out a soft laugh, something Ginny loved hearing, it was soft and angelic. She'd blushed a bright red as she realized she'd been scraping at an empty dish, her ice cream having been gone a while ago.

Ginny could vividly remember Luna hopping out of her seat, throwing their plastic dishes away, grabbing her hand, and pulling her towards the lake. They had stayed sitting there for hours, talking and laughing. They'd gone back to her house afterwards, starting on their painting, they'd just brainstormed though, not getting any actual paint on the canvas, as they still had no clue what to paint that would portray love.

She remembered them being stumped for weeks, no ideas popping into their heads, nothing at all. So instead of stressing they had gone off on adventures, doing things they'd never thought they would do before. Ginny would never forget the moment inspiration came to her on what they would paint, the moments she'd shared with Luna. It was when she'd had her first kiss, under the tree near the lake, it was dark, and the sunset was brilliant. Luna had quickly kissed Ginny on the lips, smiling afterwards as she walked Ginny home.

The painting had been amazing. It was of the lake, _their_ lake, with the tree they loved to sit under, and there were the silhouettes of two people, sharing a kiss in front of the beautiful sunset.

The rest of the year had passed by quickly, filled with happy occasions and love filled moments. Then three years passed. It was shocking how fast time flew by when you were in love. Luna and Ginny were a couple, had been a couple for _three_ years and yet it was still just the beginning of their relationship.

Their relationship came to an end far too soon. Luna was sick and the treatment she needed wasn't available in their small town, so she had to move. It was as simple as that. Ginny would never forget the pained smile Luna offered her as they broke up, telling her it was for the best, to find someone else who would be there. Both of them experienced the same heartbreak, but, as days passed, Ginny became surprisingly fine with it all. They agreed to stay friends, to keep in contact - just because they weren't lovers anymore didn't mean they couldn't still be friends.

Ginny went off to college that next month, taking everything she would need with her, saying her goodbyes to her family. She remembered Luna calling her with good news, that she'd gotten better and even managed to get into a new relationship. It was devastating for Ginny to realize during the stress of her freshman year in college that Luna had moved on. It would do her some good to move on too. She had done well, too, quickly finding someone to give her affection to, even though she didn't know how the girl felt, she'd told Ron about it. He'd told her to be bold and go for it.

"Whatcha thinking about, roomie?" A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned away from the painting hanging on the wall, the one which she'd painted with Luna, her first love. The Lovegoods didn't have enough room in their moving van, so she'd left their painting with Ginny.

There stood the girl said to be her new roomate, Cho Chang. She had a calm and timid aura around her, though she smiled like seeing Ginny was the best thing in the world. They shared a few classes and had talked with each other often, so she was in no means a stranger. Ginny would even go as far as to call the girl a friend. This was the same girl she was crushing on.

She was beautiful to Ginny, which surprised her at first, since this girl was such a contrast to her first love. Cho had long straight black hair, and warm brown eyes that she could lose herself in for hours, while Luna had bright hair wavy hair and pale eyes. Ginny had only been at the university for a year and she had already fallen in love, something it took her years to achieve back in highschool.

All she could hope for was that Cho would feel the same, though she supposed she should let her get settled in first before declaring her feelings. As the weeks passed, Ginny found herself more capable of sharing her love with others than she had used to be, like how she had been openly and unabashedly been flirting with Cho, who in turn had blushed and focused on something else.

A month later, Ginny asked Cho out on a date, deciding to take Ron's advice and be bold. She let out a sigh of relief as the brunette happily accepted, the two becoming an item quickly after. Then there it was, that word presented again at full force: _hate_. Again she was different from the majority, but it wasn't in the same way as in the past. People didn't like her because she was gay, because she was a girl who loved another girl. She was different, and once again she saw that the world hated things that were different. But it didn't faze Ginny anymore, because something she'd learned in all her years was that hate surely was strong, but love had proved itself to be stronger.

She couldn't think about the hateful stares when she was with Cho because she was so entrapped this wonderful feeling of love. The feeling surrounded her, filled her heart to the brim with happiness, so that hate just bounced off of her. Cho made Ginny feel like she was on top of the world, in a place where the hate couldn't reach her, in a place where everything was alright.

That's just what love was, love was almost like a rollercoaster, there were ups and sometimes downs, most times with love you just didn't want the ride to end. Ginny knew all of this to be true, from her experience in the past, and that's why she had proposed to Cho. It's why they worked on starting a family step by step after they graduated.

Ginny let a smile slip onto her face as she stared at her fiancee, who'd already said her vows, with the gazes of both their families and friends present. Ginny only faintly heard the priest speak to her, only focused on the woman standing in front of her, smiling with so much love and affection in her gaze.

Hardly even thinking, Ginny said the two words that meant they would be forever bound in holy matrimony:

" _ **I do."**_


	34. Happy Birthday

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 89

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [Date] October 15th

* * *

Hermione sat in bed staring at the calendar on the wall. It was October 15th. It was a normal day, or so Ron kept telling her. But she couldn't help but feel like there was something she was missing. She toyed with the locket that hung around her neck before realizing the significance of the date.

It was her friend's birthday - a muggle friend from before going to Hogwarts, Hermione's best friend, one who had, sadly, passed away. Hermione smiled up at the ceiling of her bedroom…

" _ **Happy Birthday."**_


	35. Box of Secrets

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 208

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s): [Word] Secret

* * *

It was a secret, locked away at the bottom of the black lake. Rather, _many_ secrets; memories that would be better buried, and would leave them both safer. After all, it was over now, their undeniable love for each other. Their most dangerous secret, their most precious memories.

All of it _over_. All those hidden kisses, or secret escapades into Hogsmeade for dates that no one but them would ever know of. The secretive smiles as they passed each other in the corridors, or the meaningful looks they shared in their classes. It was all over, all gone, thrown away. All that was left was memories of the one secret they would always share.

Bella had become a Death Eater, that was the first blow, and Alice would never join them. It would be dangerous to try and make something work with them both on opposite sides of a war. They would try their hardest to move on - Alice was sure of it as she tossed an enchanted box and its key into the lake. Watching as what felt like thousands of pictures, thousands of memories, a secret, and one box sank slowly to the bottom of the lake.

 ** _ **To be forever left behind, but**_** ** **definitely**** ** _ **not forgotten.**_**


	36. A Fresh Start

House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 534

Category: Short

Prompt(s): [Event] Job Interview

* * *

It was nerve wracking. Sitting in a chair, in an empty office, hoping and praying he would get _this_ job. No one wanted to hire him, not after his role in the war. He was a Death Eater, the Dark Mark seared onto his arm marked him as a traitor to everything good in the world. Merlin, even he wouldn't want to hire himself if he was in their position. But this wasn't a wizarding job, so maybe the Muggles wouldn't understand, or perhaps they'd see the tattoo and treat him normally. It was a long shot, however, and he knew that.

No matter what though, he _needed_ this job. He needed desperately to finally move away from the family name. He wanted to get away from the job the men in their family had done for decades. It was a commonly known fact that the Malfoy family worked in the Ministry. If Draco got this job at a muggle office trying to make an honest living, maybe he'd actually show the rest of his community that he had changed.

A woman wearing a formal suit walked into the room, a stern look set onto her features and Draco had a sinking feeling that this interview would end just like all the others had. Disastrously. Yet, this interview started out differently. The woman asked him about himself, she sprinkled in some mandatory questions here and there, and he felt himself relaxing. A smile even slipped onto his face, which was a rare sight nowadays.

"Thank you for coming in, we'll give you a call to let you know if your interview was successful or not."

That had marked the end of it, so Draco stood up and walked out of the office, down the hallway and out of the building. He apparated into his apartment when he was sure no muggles were looking and he did what anyone in his position would do. He waited. Nearly 30 minutes were spent with him staring at the phone, waiting and praying for it to ring.

Another fifteen minutes of staring later and he decided he was being pathetic, and if there was anything he wanted to remember about his father's teachings it was that Malfoy's were _not_ pathetic. So Draco dragged himself into his kitchen and started making himself dinner, he had skipped lunch due to his nerves and was now starving.

It was two weeks later, while he was sitting glumly at the dining room table, that the phone rang

Draco sprung out of his seat and ran over to the phone, trying to muster up some semblance of dignity as he answered it with a polite greeting. After five minutes of talking on the phone, it was finally over. Despite his low expectation he'd actually managed to get the job, which was a massive relief to him. He'd been told to get a good night's sleep as he'd be needed early in order to get a feel of the building and understand what exactly he would be doing.

He couldn't help but let out a smile, because it was finally there, finally time.

 _ **After months of trying, he could finally get a fresh start.**_


End file.
